


Don’t You Forget About Me

by Ultra



Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Canon Rewrite, Complicated Relationships, Developing Relationship, Drama & Romance, Episode: s01e15 Ruskie Business, Episode: s01e16 Betty and Veronica, Episode: s01e18 Weapons of Class Destruction, F/M, Feelings Realization, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Kissing, Love, Making Out, Season/Series 01, Secrets, Shooting Guns, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-07
Updated: 2007-02-07
Packaged: 2019-08-22 20:10:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 28,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16604702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: After finding Trina instead of his mother at the hotel (in ‘Ruskie Business’), Logan catches a ride home with Veronica and their friendship is re-formed on the night of the Eighties dance. From there on, everything changes.





	1. Couple-o-rama

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU story. Basically up to the point where the fic begins everything is as it happened on the show, with two slight changes - (1) Veronica never attended Shelley Pomroy’s party and so the rape storyline never happened, and (2) in ‘Ruskie Business’, the night Logan staked out the hotel to find his mother was the same night as the 80s dance. Obviously the storylines from this point onwards are now going to get changed and mixed-up, such is the point of fanfiction!

“Come in, make yourself at home,” Veronica said awkwardly as she let herself and Logan into the house. Things had been worse in the car. Every time she glanced over she was sure he was trying to stop more tears escaping. She didn’t blame him for being upset, after all he’d just pretty much lost the last hope that his mother was still alive. Veronica herself could share his pain when Lynn was just missing, her own mother had been gone over a year and every day she felt the loss, but now it seemed there was no way Mrs Echolls would be found alive and Veronica couldn’t even begin to contemplate how that felt for Logan.

“Home, right.” He smiled a little, though the humour was fake. “Like I even know what that really means,” he muttered, and Veronica was uncertain as to whether she should actually answer that comment or not. She chose not to say anything, it seemed the safer option, and the simple way to not have her dead best friends ex boyfriend crying on her again.

“So, do you want to...?” Veronica’s question was left unfinished as there was a knock on the door and she moved to answer it, passing by Logan who headed for the couch and sat down, running his hands over his face and back through his hair. He had no idea what he was even doing here really, but now his mom was gone, and Lilly too, there were few people he had to turn to. Veronica had been helpful and even sweet to him these past few days, so when she’d offered to drive him to her place to talk and maybe get something to eat he accepted almost on autopilot.

“Meg, I am so sorry.” He heard the blonde say to the girl beyond the door. “I told you I was gonna find your secret admirer before the dance and I haven’t come through,” she apologised. “It’s just been a million other things I’ve been working on...” she said, glancing back at Logan as she let Meg into the house. The other girl seemed surprised to see him there.

“Hi,” she greeted him awkwardly. “I, er, I didn’t know you had company, Veronica, I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to interrupt anything,” she said with a look that conveyed a little too much meaning.

“You really didn’t,” Veronica said firmly. “Honestly, I just... um, what’s this?” she said, glad to find a change of subject in the plastic covered outfit Meg held in her hand.

“It’s nothing.” Meg shook her head as she placed the covered dress down on the counter. “I was just thinking, since I’ve kind of abandoned the whole Caz or Martin idea.” She rolled her eyes. “I thought, hey, who says we need dates to go to the dance?” She smiled, then shrugged her shoulders. “I was going to take you.”

“Oh.” Veronica felt a little stuck as she glanced between one friend and the other. Logan still looked a little too fragile to abandon, and yet Meg’s eyes were pleading with her not to say no and make her go to the dance alone.

“It’s okay,” said Logan, breaking an awkward pause as he got to his feet. “I should go anyway. Trina’s probably been telling tales to my dad by now and-”

“No.” Veronica put her hand on his chest, pushing him back and preventing him from passing her and Meg to get to the door. They both looked a little startled that she’d stopped him and even Veronica herself took her hand away again fast when she realised what she was doing. She smiled overly much and looked up at Logan, knowing she couldn’t tell him why she really didn’t want him to go. The fact was just as soon as he’d mentioned Trina and his father, Veronica had been reminded of the scene at the hotel, with Logan’s step-sister saying how he used to tell tales about Mr Echolls beating on him. The strangest feeling had passed through Veronica then as she recalled a distant memory of injuries her old friend had sustained when they were younger, things he passed off as being caused by walking into doors, falling down stairs, or even the occasional fight. Now she wondered if it had been his father’s doing all along, and she couldn’t let him go home to face him right now, not in his semi-broken state and with Trina probably having told Daddy dearest about the afternoons events.

“We were going to hang out,” Veronica reminded Logan. “Um, why don’t you come to the party too?” she said hopefully. “That’s okay with you, right Meg?”

“Er, sure.” She nodded, though she was a little surprised. Though she knew that these two used to hang out, when Veronica was dating Duncan and Lilly was still alive, it’d been a long time since she’d thought of Veronica and Logan as real friends.

“Really not in the party mood, Veronica,” he told her with a look that meant she ought to know that, still she seemed pretty determined.

“Can’t say I am either,” she admitted, “but y’know being around other people might be just what you need to feel better. What do you say?” she asked with almost pleading eyes and with a sigh he relented, deciding a party with his school friends was preferable to a night in with his dad and Trina, despite the fact he seriously was not in the mood for an eighties disco extravangaza.

“Okay, I’ll go,” he relented. “Although, I really don’t think this is going to fit me,” he forced a smile as he picked up the outfit Meg had brought for Veronica and held it in front of his body, striking a girly pose.

“We’ll figure something out.” Veronica smiled, glad to see him grinning similarly, even though she was fairly certain his own expression was a fake, after all she was guilty of faking the odd cheery disposition herself, especially since Lilly.

“Okay.” Meg smiled, reaching to take the dress from Logan, and ushering her friend towards the bathroom. Veronica shared an almost apologetic look with the young man as she allowed herself to be led away.

* * *

It was a good half hour later when the girls emerged from the bathroom, both now ready for an eighties party, Meg dressed up like Andie from Pretty In Pink, whilst Veronica was early Madonna, or Manilla Whore Barbie as she preferred to call her look. Both of them were a little puzzled when they couldn’t see Logan anywhere in the living room and some eighties tune was blaring from the stereo.

“Logan?” Veronica called, looking puzzled. A holler down the hall gave away his location and he soon came skidding into view, minus pants or shoes by now and with what appeared to be a pair of her fathers sunglasses on his face.

“Hey, I figured out a look.” He grinned, the glass in his hand showing why the sudden change in attitude and mood.

“Risky Business.” Veronica nodded, faking another smile. “I just cannot get away from Tom Cruise,” she muttered as she walked over to her half dressed friend and reached for the glass he held.

“Hey,” Logan complained, holding the drink away from her, high above her head where she couldn’t reach.

“Give me the glass, Logan,” she told him. “Come on, please,” she urged him, a little embarrassed to have him act this way in front of Meg. She wondered how he’d gotten into the drinks cabinet and how much he’d managed to drink whilst she’d been getting changed and hair-sprayed.

“Okay, since you asked so nice,” Logan said seriously, suddenly knocking the rest of what appeared to be a large vodka back in one and handing the empty to Veronica. “You asked for the glass, not what was in it.” He shrugged, smirking slightly and annoying the blonde immensely.

“Why do you always have to be a jerk lately?” she muttered as she put the empty glass on the counter.

“Why do you always have to be a jerk lately?” Logan repeated back in an overly petty and girlish voice that Veronica took offence to, folding her arms across her chest.

“How about I go warm up the car?” Meg suggested, feeling very awkward once again. Her friend nodded that it was probably a good idea, tossing her the keys.

As soon as Meg was gone Logan spoke.

“Y’know for a ex-sheriff detective type, you would think your dad would have better security on his liquor cabinet.” He smirked, glancing over at where the door of said cabinet was swinging open. “Easy when you know how.” He smiled, producing a hair slide from behind his back and showing her, laughing as he did so.

“How much did you drink, Logan?” Veronica sighed, wondering what exactly she was going to do with him should he be very drunk.

“Relax, I had one,” he assured her. “One large one, but still, I’m fine,” he assured her, his laughter subsiding as he watched his own finger drawing random patterns on the counter he was leaning back on. “I could drink more, try and numb the pain but it always comes back.” He shook his head sadly and Veronica felt awful for him. She was sort of hoping this really was not going to lead to further tears, she’d already had enough of that today, but was still startled when he suddenly snapped to attention and smiled, clapping his hands together.

“Okay,” he said putting his hands on her shoulders and turning her towards the door. “Party time.”

“Are you sure?” Veronica checked, sounding genuinely concerned, as she was bundled out of her own house with Logan, shoeless and pantsless, following behind.

“Hey, what’s the point of staying home when you made such an effort to look like a genuine eighties whore?” he asked her, and though she wasn’t overly impressed by his words she knew he was right, and laughed at the joke as they got into the car at last.

* * *

“Wow, eighties fashion. Grody to the max,” Meg exclaimed as she, Veronica, and Logan stood in the middle of the glitter explosion that was the eighties dance.

“Don’t spaz.” Veronica smirked.

“Aren’t you totally stoked to be here,” Logan threw in.

“Oh, for sure,” was Meg’s giggly response. “I just didn’t know the dance would be such a major couple-o-rama.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about being the single one, gal pal,” Veronica said, sounding slightly less stunned than she actually felt as she spotted Duncan staring at her friend. Given the outfit, it appeared he was supposed to be Duckie from Pretty in Pink, and therefore Meg’s partner tonight.

“I think we just found your secret admirer,” Veronica forced a smile as she pointed Meg in the direction of her own ex and the other girl gasped.

“Hey.” Duncan smiled as he and Meg met in the middle of the dancefloor. “Would you care to dance?”

As she watched the pair dance together, Veronica felt ridiculously teary. Between getting fooled by the Russian bride and finding out that Duncan had the hots for Meg, she really thought she’d had her fill of surprises tonight, but she was wrong.

“So, er, Veronica,” Logan cleared his throat and caught her attention. “You wanna dance?” he asked eventually.

“Logan, you don’t have to...” she began, feeling a little unsure of herself, after all it was a long time since she and Logan had ever spent this much time together as they had today and they were never so close that they did anything like dance together. He always had Lilly, she always had Duncan. Oh, how things had changed.

“Look, you really helped me out today,” he said in a quiet voice so no-one else would hear. “I needed... a friend, I guess, and you were there.” He smiled slightly. “Besides, every beautiful girl deserves at least one dance at such an extravaganza as this,” he said with a flourish, holding out his hand for her to take.

Veronica wasn’t sure what stunned her more, the fact Logan had called her a friend, the fact he’d asked her to dance in the first place, or the fact he’d just called her a beautiful girl. The combined effect of these three revelations rooted her to the spot and struck her dumb for a whole ten seconds, which was quite a feat. Veronica tended to have an answer ready for just about every occasion, except this one it seemed.

“Okay,” she said eventually. “Just no toe stepping or... heart eclipsing, okay?” she tilted her head at the banner bearing the name of the dance and managed a smirk.

“Deal,” Logan agreed as she finally took the hand he offered and was spun gracefully into his arms.

It felt a little weird to them both, especially Veronica since she had neither the comfort of being relaxed by alcohol or the knowledge that she could never be with her ex ever again. Duncan was still within touching distance, just a few feet away dancing with Meg. It hurt to see them that way, but surprisingly not as much as Veronica thought it should. She wondered if she missed Duncan as much as she told herself she did, or if she just missed what they’d had. She had few real connections these days, no best friend since Lilly, no boyfriend since Duncan, unless you count drug-dealer Troy, and really Veronica would rather not.

“I meant to say thanks for today,” Logan said suddenly jolting her from her deep thoughts and bringing her attention back to him. “I know we haven’t exactly been best friends or anything lately, if we ever were but... it was good, to have you there today.”

“Is this the vodka talking?” she checked with a smile, but he didn’t return it.

“I’m serious, Veronica,” he told her, looking just that. “Really, thank you.”

“No problem,” she told him, as she looked up into his eyes. “I know what it’s like. I’m just so sorry we couldn’t find her.”

“Me too.” He sighed, forcing a smile through the tears that wanted to come. “but hey, this is a dance, supposed to be a happy awesome thing,” he reminded her, with too much enthusiasm. “Shouldn’t we be like wang chunging tonight?” he asked.

“During a slow dance?” she considered, glancing around them. “Maybe not.” She shook her head as they continued to sway together to the music.

“Well, I gotta admit, this is okay too,” he told her, looking at her in such an intense way that Veronica’s breath caught in her throat. She was frowning slightly when she spoke, unable to believe what she thought she was seeing in his eyes.

“Are you gonna kiss me?” she asked him.

“I was thinking about it,” he admitted as he leaned in closer and Veronica’s eyes fell shut anticipating the feel of his lips on her own. The moment never came as her purse suddenly began ringing from it’s position on her arm, shattering the mood as Veronica stepped backwards out of Logan’s arms and fought to pull her cell from her purse.

“Hello?” she said, hurrying out of the noisy room as she took the call, Logan hot on her heels. “Hello!” she repeated when nobody answered her.

“Wrong number?” Logan asked from behind her as the call ended and Veronica stared at the phone in her hand.

“No.” She shook her head. “Someone keeps crank calling me.”

“Here.” Logan took the phone from her hand and dialled star sixty-nine, waiting for someone to pick up at the other end of the line. “Hey, who the hell is this?!” he demanded to know, a little too loudly it seemed as he caught the attention of several other people in the hall.

“Er, this is a pay phone,” said an old man’s voice on the other end of the line.

“Pay phone?” Logan frowned and Veronica grabbed the phone from his hand.

“Why are you calling me?” she asked the man who sounded a little confused.

“Not me, sweetheart,” he told her. “You must be talking about that blonde lady.”

“Blonde lady?” Veronica echoed. “A pay phone where?” she checked.

“Sage Brush Cantina, Barstow,” the man said before hanging up the phone.

Logan was a little worried as he looked down at the girl he’d been about to kiss a minute ago. She looked far less happy now than she had then, a mixture of fear and hope painted across her face as far as he could tell.  
“What’s going on?” he asked her and Veronica shook her head.

“I have to go,” she told him, bolting down the hall. Logan tried to give chase but was hindered by his lack of shoes, his socks on the polished floor causing him to skid and tumble half way to the door.

“Veronica!” he called after her but if she heard she didn’t stop, she just kept running. She’d just realised that she had almost found her mother, and right now that was all that mattered.

Alone in the hall, laid out on his back, Logan put his hands over his face and let out a pained laugh. Today had been a crazy day, all in all, both painful and joyful at different times. Now he was left with one resounding thought - What had changed between himself and Veronica Mars? He intended to find out, and as soon as possible.


	2. Call Me

“Should’ve known you’d be ‘the guy’.” Logan smirked as he hopped out of his car at Rest Stop Fifteen and faced Weevil who had just taken a bet from some Pan High student on the latest basketball game between their own school and Neptune.

“You know anybody else better qualified for the title?” Weevil smirked, arms folded across his chest. “What you got, Rich Boy?”

“Two hundred, on Neptune,” Logan told him, pushing the notes into his hand. “I’d say you can count it but we don’t want you having to take off your shoes and socks to get high enough.” He smirked, causing Weevil to glare after him as he walked away, having spotted someone he wanted to speak too. Logan got within talking distance of Veronica, who appeared to be hiding rather deliberately behind a car, just as another guy cut in from the side and took the blonde’s attention.

“Hey, Betty.” The guy in the Pan High letterman’s jacket smiled. “Didn’t expect to see you up here.”

“Hey, Curtis.” Veronica grinned, looking overly-girly as Logan frowned at the name he’d just heard her called. “I, er, came to see the guy about the basketball game,” she said, gesturing towards Weevil who was counting Logan’s cash, despite the assurance he didn’t need to. “I don’t care what Zeke says about that Fennell kid, Pan are so going to kick ass.” She giggled, making Logan wince.

This was clearly an undercover gig, and the look on her face begged him not to blow it when she got a chance to glance his way. Of course, Logan would have done the decent thing and left her to her work, if not for the fact that he and Veronica really needed to talk. He really hadn’t seen her since the eighties dance, and every time he spotted her in the hall or at lunch she always seemed to be hurrying off somewhere, usually somewhere he couldn’t follow, like the girls bathroom. Now he had her cornered and he wasn’t about to let he opportunity to talk to her pass by just because she was working some case.

“Hey, Betty, there you are.” He grinned, pushing past the guy Veronica had been talking to and putting an arm around her shoulders. “I have been looking all over for you, honey.”

“Really?” Veronica said awkwardly through a fake smile. “That’s... sweet.”

“Uh, so you are...?” Curtis asked, looking confused.

“Oh, this?” said Betty, poking Logan in the chest. “This is, obviously, my boyfriend.”

“Archie.” Logan smiled, holding out his hand for Curtis to shake as Veronica bit her lip and put her face in her ‘boyfriend’s’ chest to keep from laughing too obviously.

“Well, it was cool to meet you, man, but I gotta go,” the Pan student said quickly, turning to walk away. “See you at school, Betty.”

“You sure will.” She grinned, pulling herself out from Logan’s grasp just a soon as Curtis was gone, and dragging her friend around to his car, instructing him to get in. “What the hell was that?” she asked, somewhere between angry and amused as they sat in the car together. “You almost completely blew my cover.”

“I’m sorry, _Betty_ ,” said Logan, looking annoying but apologetic as he smirked. “I just wanted to get a chance to talk to you,” he said, annoying expression fading into a much more sincere one as he looked at her. “Seems like you’ve been avoiding me lately.”

“It’s not like we’re BFF, Logan.” She rolled her eyes, and shrugged her shoulders for good measure. “I’ve just been busy with stuff.”

“Like the ‘stuff’ that made you run out on me at the dance the other night?” Logan air-quoted appropriately. “You know if you just didn’t want to be seen with me there are easier ways to get that point across,” he told her. “Like saying ‘Hey Logan, get lost, I can’t stand to look at you’.”

“This is so far from being about you.” Veronica sighed, looking away as she recalled the night of the dance all too well. She’d had to leave Logan standing. There was a chance she’d just found her mother, after almost a year of being without her. Of course she could’ve told Logan about the situation either at the time or since but she hadn’t lied about being busy with stuff. Besides she really didn’t know what to say.

Talking about Lilly wasn’t easy at the best of times, especially with someone who was as close to her as Veronica herself had been. Discussing her mother, meant bringing up the night of her best friend, and Logan’s girlfriend’s murder, since that had been a major topic of conversation, along with the fact that maybe Veronica’s dad wasn’t her father at all, another subject she’d rather leave unmentioned. That left explaining her mother’s alcoholism and the fact she’d had to book her into a very costly institution to help her handle her addiction. This was just one more thing on a long list that she couldn’t, or was not prepared to share.

“Hey.” Logan’s hand on her arm made her jump slightly, she’d been so lost in her own thoughts. “Is there something you want to talk about?” he offered. “Not that I don’t agree about the not BFF thing.” He rolled his eyes. “But, you were there for me before, I don’t mind returning the favour if you want.”

“I’m fine.” She forced a smile as she looked over at him. “Or I will be, anyway. Right now, I have a parrot to find,” she said, shaking the fog out of her mind and moving to get out of the car.

“Veronica,” Logan called after her, making her stop short of closing the door behind herself. “Remember what I said, if you need to talk, call me,” he told her, making the well-known hand gesture of a phone to his ear.

Not really knowing how to answer, Veronica just nodded before turning away and walking over to where Weevil waited to drive her home. She could’ve gone with Logan, she knew that, but things were weird between them lately and she had too much else to think about right now.

All the way back to her house she was thinking it over, how the simple dislike between herself and her old best friend’s boyfriend had changed into a weird kind of friendship lately. It had been such a shock when Logan had showed up on her doorstep, asking for help to locate his mother whom he was sure wasn’t dead. Days passed and they were forced to share secret talks, meetings and phone calls, to keep each other informed of developments or lack of same. Then came the night of the dance, the same night that Logan had spent part of staked out at the Neptune Grand, hoping his mother would step out of the elevator at any moment. Of course she never did, his half-sister Trina had been the one using the credit card and Logan had been almost inconsolable. Veronica had honestly never seen him cry like that. She guessed he must’ve after Lilly was gone, but much like herself he would’ve kept his grief private, she assumed.

As she headed into the house and changed out of her undercover gear, Veronica had to literally force herself to think of something other than Logan. She had a parrot to track down, and a murder case still to solve, not to mention she was going to need some pretty inventive excuses if she was ever going to hide from her father how much of her savings she’d laid out to get her mom booked into a clinic for alcoholism.

“Let’s start with the parrot,” she said to herself, with a sigh. It was probably the least important problem to solve right down but the triviality was appealing amongst all the complicated things.

* * *

“Veronica!” a voice whispered urgently in the dark, causing the blonde to wake with a start. “God, I thought you were never going to stop snoring!” Lilly complained as her friend looked over at her from the bed with wide eyes.

“Lilly?” she gasped. “How are you...?”

“Well, you’re dreaming obviously!” her best friend rolled her eyes. “Duh, Veronica, it’s not like a movie, you can’t see dead people y’know, but dreaming, that’s free.”

“Why now?” Veronica shook her head as she got out of bed and walked over to the girl that leant back on the desk. “Why am I dreaming about you today? I haven’t in a long time, I-”

“Maybe 'cause I’m too fabulous to be forgotten for long?” Lilly smirked, striking a pose against the desk.

“I could never forget you, Lilly, never.” Her friend shook her head, almost offended by the accusation, despite the fact this seemed to be a very weird, very real dream.

“I know.” She suddenly nodded, looking serious. “And it rocks that you’re trying to crack the case and all... but you’re allowed to live y’know, even if I can’t.”

“I don’t understand,” Veronica admitted, making Lilly laugh.

“Of course you don’t.” She rolled her eyes once again as she walked past her towards the door. “This is your sub-conscious talking, so you don’t have to understand, you just have to listen.” She smiled. “You’re not alone, Veronica. People do understand stuff, just like you do. Not everybody’s out to get you. TTFN.” She grinned, waving as her form shimmered and flickered and then completely disappear, in the same split second that Veronica woke up with a start, for real this time, and looked around her quiet, empty bedroom.

She sat up and put her hand to her head, trying to make sense of what she’d just seen and heard. It was a dream, that much was obvious from the appearance of Lilly who had been gone for over a year now. Veronica honestly couldn’t make sense of what her friend had told her.

The last couple of days had been both a weird and busy, as she figured out what had happened to Polly, the Neptune High mascot, and listened to the interview tapes Leo had managed to get his hands on for her regarding Lilly’s murder. Then there was Clarence Wiedman and how Veronuca had managed to track down Abel Koontz’s daughter, Amelia DeLongpre, just before the Head of Kane Security had a chance to do the same. Amongst all this, even when her mind felt full and occupied, sub-consciously Veronica was still trying to deal with her confusion over Logan. 

Maybe that was what Lilly had meant in her dream, she considered. The only real friends she had lately were Wallace and Meg, and neither of them could ever understand the confusion and turmoil she dealt with both internally and externally every day. They hadn’t lost someone they loved dearly, they didn’t have mothers who’d gone AWOL, they hadn’t known her well enough before to fully understand the change in her over this past year and more.

The clock told Veronica it was just past four in the morning. her dad wasn’t coming home tonight, out cracking another case to earn enough money to keep them in their house and eating regular meals. She appreciated how hard he worked for her sake, and loved her father dearly, but she wished they got a chance to spend more time together, to really talk about things.

‘Remember what I said, if you need to talk, call me.’

His words were so clear as she replayed them in her head, and stared at her cellphone on the cabinet beside the bed. She could use a friend to turn to, someone to talk to about the good times with Lilly, and the pain of losing that same girl. Logan would understand about her mother too, and Veronica really had nobody in the world she could discuss that particular subject with.

Without properly thinking it through she reached for her cell and selected the number she still had logged in there. He hadn’t known when he gave it to her a second time just two weeks ago that his number was still there from before, from the days when Veronica, Lilly, Logan, and Duncan had been inseparable.

It rang once, twice, three times, four, and the message telling her to speak after the beep was just about to take over when he picked up, sounding groggy and half-asleep when he spoke.

“Whoever you are, you’re not my favourite person right now,” he complained, his eyes still shut as he laid on his back on the bed, annoyed at being woken at this time of night. “Hello?!” he called, when no-one answered him.

His snappy temper was all it took to make Veronica change her mind and quickly hang up the phone.

In the darkness of his room, Logan made an aggravated sound when the line went dead in his ear. He tossed the phone aside and turned over in his bed, putting his pillow half over his head just in case the freak on the phone called back, but she never did.


	3. Down and Dirty

“What is it with the Mars’ family?” Logan asked Veronica as she came out of her dad’s office. She was less than happy to find he was leant over her laptop staring at details she’d rather he didn’t see regarding Lilly’s murder, and her own private investigation into it.

“I don’t know what you saw but-” she began, only to have him interrupt as she took the computer away from him and he followed her across the office.

“A file on Duncan. A file on me,” Logan said, as Veronica sat down behind the desk, looking almost guilty. “Hey, at least my alibi held up.” Logan half-smiled.

She only nodded in response.

“Okay, so, I just came to give you this,” he said when the silence went on longer than was comfortable. Veronica frowned as she reached out to take a piece of paper from him that turned out to be a cheque for a not-small amount of cash.

“Logan...” she began, obviously about to protest, but he cut her off again.

“You helped me out.” He shrugged. “With my mom and everything, and I don’t mean to sound all high and mighty but it’s not like you couldn’t use the money,” he said, shuffling his feet slightly. He was glad she didn’t look too offended, and even more pleased when she smiled slightly.

“Your mom was always nice to me,” she told him, folding the cheque and tearing it into pieces that fluttered down onto the desk. Logan’s gaze never left hers, as he stared in wonderment at her. She really was kind of amazing.

“Veronica,” he said, in a tone that was surprisingly softer than his usual voice. “Why’d you call me last night?”

Her eyes widened at his question. She was surprised he’d known it was her, and a little offended in all honesty that he’d known and yet not called her back or something. Logan was the one who’d said she should call if she needed to talk and when she had he’d hardly been forthcoming, despite the fact it seemed he knew it was her on the other end of the line.

“Why’d you tell me I wasn’t your favourite person?” she countered, echoing his words back to him.

“Er, maybe because it was four in the morning,” he suggested. “And obviously I didn’t know it was you at the time,” he assured her, making Veronica feel a little better, although she couldn’t quite figure out why she cared at all. “You didn’t answer my question,” he pointed out as she gazed off in a thoughtful stare in the opposite direction.

Bringing her eyes back to his face, Veronica forced a smile and shook her head.

“It was nothing,” she lied. “I, er, actually mis-dialled, and when I realised my mistake I just hung up, you sounded so mad.” She laughed, though it was as fake as the story she’d just told him. She got up and came around the desk, moving to walk past her kind-of-friend. She was a little surprised when his hand grabbed her arm and stopped her getting away. The intense look he gave her stuck her to the spot anyway, his grip on her wrist was little or nothing in comparison.

“Y’know,” said Logan, smiling after a moment, making a big deal of dropping her arm from his grasp. “For an undercover expert, you’re a terrible liar, Veronica Mars,” he told her simply before making for the door and disappearing from her sight without once looking back.

Veronica let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding as she recovered from that brief and strangely intense moment. Something was happening here, she didn’t fully understand what but there was definitely something. She and Logan had never been really close, she’d just thought of him as Lilly’s boyfriend before her death, and just Duncan’s wacky friend since then. Now she was seeing a different side to him, and she’d almost say they liked each other if that in itself wasn’t just so crazy.

* * *

Veronica let out a yawn as she walked down the school hall, looking for Logan. She could really do without having to face him right now, especially since she still wasn’t sure what was happening between them. He was being nice to her, which was freaky all by itself, and somehow she felt compelled to be similarly friendly with him. She felt bad for him for all he’d gone through, Lilly’s death which had hurt them both so badly, and recently his mother’s supposed end. Sometimes she liked him, when he was being the real Logan, not the idiot show-off he was in front of his friends. What her true feelings were for him, that was the million dollar question, and whilst she’d happily try for an answer if such a prize was available, right now there was something more important at stake.

Sabrina’s mystery stalker was on hold, as were Veronica’s own mixed up feelings for Logan. The Lilly Kane case, that had to come first, and the whole thing could come crashing down around her head if a certain rich boy started telling his friend about certain files on Veronica’s computer.

“Hey.” Logan seemed understandably surprised when the petite blonde grabbed him from where he stood by his locker and bundled him into the nearest empty classroom. “Y’know, if I knew you wanted me this bad I would’ve-”

“Finish that sentence and you won’t have anything to carry it out with, ever,” she swore, looking even more serious than she really was. It was enough to shut Logan up anyway as he made a zipping motion across his mouth, even going so far as to throw away the ‘key’.

“Very amusing.” Veronica rolled her eyes. “But now I’d like to know when you plan on telling Duncan and everyone how I’m psycho or, at least, unhealthily obsessed,” she told him, looking just mildly worried. “I’d like to be prepared”

“It stuns me, Veronica.” Logan smiled, shaking his head. “How highly you think of me, how much faith you have in me.”

“Talking in riddles is not answering my question,” she pointed out, starting to get a little antsy now, after all, this was very important. If Duncan, or anyone else, was likely to jump at her with questions and accusations she wanted to know about it. Preparation was important, knowing what she was going to have to face before it came at her, it was key. Logan seemed less worried about her question and more bothered by her attitude toward him as he sat on the edge of the desk behind him and faced Veronica who had her arms folded across her chest and looked almost mad at him, for something he wasn’t sure he’d even done.

“Relax, Nancy Drew.” He smirked. “Your secret’s safe. I’m not telling Duncan, or anybody, about your investigation, okay?”

“Why?” she asked, though really she ought to have just been glad he’d made such a vow, her naturally inquisitive self would not be so easily satisfied.

“Why?” Logan echoed, looking a little amused. “Honestly, everything that’s happened the past few days and she’s asking me why,” he said, as if to an audience that wasn’t there. “Seriously, Veronica.” He sighed as he stood up suddenly, almost invading her personal space a little too much, though she didn’t flinch. “Are you not picking up any clues yet?” he said almost in a whisper, looking down into her eyes just like he had two days ago in the office. The intensity again froze her to the spot to the point where she didn’t move at all, even when he leaned in closer and his lips met hers in a brief kiss. When he pulled back she was looking at him with surprise and yet he wasn’t getting bitch-slapped or a knee in the groin which he took as a good sign. Deciding just to go for it, he kissed her again and this time she responded, her arms going up around his neck as his own went around her waist and held her tight to him. The combined ringing and vibrating of her cellphone in her bag disturbed their few moments of bliss and reluctantly he let go of her as she rummaged around to find the noisy article and take the call.

Veronica was smiling as she nodded and spoke to the person on the other end of the line, walking a few steps away from Logan who watched her with interest.

“Uh-huh, that’s great.” She grinned. “Thank you so much,” she said before saying goodbye and ending the call. She faced Logan and offered a shaky smile. “I should really go,” she said quickly, hurrying towards the door. She was only slightly surprised to find he was just one step behind her by the time they hit the parking lot.

“What are you doing?” she checked, glancing back at him.

“Skipping school with Neptune’s greatest crime fighter?” he suggested with a smirk as he got into the passenger side of her car just as she got into the drivers seat.

“I don’t have time to argue.” She sighed as she put the car in gear and pulled away. It was a lie of course, she could easily waste a few minutes talking to Logan, making him get out of her car and get the hell out of her life if she wanted to. Truth be told, she really didn’t mind him hanging around, and that kiss they’d shared, well, in all honesty, she wouldn’t mind that happening again, however crazy she was sure that made her.

* * *

“So, mysterious phone call, computer wizardry, what happens next?” Logan asked as Veronica pulled the car up outside of Vinnie Vanlowe’s offices, a much less respected private eye than Keith Mars.

“Now we bag the bad guy,” Veronica told him simply as she pulled a small electrical device from her bag and began tapping on her laptop right after. “So, what do you say, Mr Echolls?” She smirked in his general direction before glancing back at her computer screen. “Wanna get down and dirty in the world of the PIs?” she asked him, immediately regretting her wording when she cast him a sideways look and caught sight of the dirty look in his eyes. “Okay, re-phrasing,” Veronica back-pedalled. “You wanna help me out or not?” she asked and, just this once, Logan let it go.

“What do you need me for?” he asked with interest.

“Sabrina’s getting crank calls, flat tyres, all kinds of problems that are stopping her being the big brain in school,” Veronica explained. “Last night a car was left outside her house with the alarm going crazy. My sources checked out the licence plate and it turns out this particular ’83 K-car is registered to one Debra Villareal, the unfortunate woman who was once married to Vinnie Vanlowe, Private Eye,” she gestured behind her to the sign that bore the man’s name and occupation.

“So, what?” Logan shook his head. “You want to go in there and ask him if he’s been a naughty boy?” he asked, causing the blonde beside him to roll her eyes.

“Listen and learn, grasshopper,” she told him as they got out the car and Veronica divulged her plan.

* * *

“Hey, Vinnie.” Veronica smiled as she came through the door into his office.

“Ms Mars.” He smiled back at her, his own grin as fake as her own. “What can I do for you?”

“A couple of things, actually,” she admitted as she took a seat in front of the desk. “First, I was hoping maybe you could tell me who hired you to harass Sabrina Fuller.”

“Sabrina Fuller?” Vinnie echoed, looking shifty. “Doesn’t ring a bell. I don’t believe I know such a person.”

“See, I think that you do...” she said, going on to explain why, as Logan waited beyond the door til she’d said just enough before bursting in as was the plan.

“So this is your lunch date with the girls, huh?” he yelled at Veronica as he came striding into the office, making Vinnie sit up fast. “Weird, 'cause he doesn’t look much like a girl,” he said gesturing at the PI.

“Logan, honey, I swear, this is just business,” she said, her acting skills honed to perfection by several years of undercover work for her father.

“Yeah, like she said, it’s business, kid, cool down,” Vinnie urged Logan, who looked ready to break heads by now.

“You, shut your mouth!” he yelled, leaning over the desk at Vinnie, before switching his attention back to Veronica and hauling her out of the chair by her arm. “You, I want an explanation, Veronica!” he told her. “What the hell are you trying to do to me? One second you’re with me and everything’s perfect, and the next I find you in some sleazeball’s office, making eyes at this idiot-”

“Oh, now, that is enough!” Vinnie protested at the insults being thrown his way and rounded the desk to take on Logan.

As the two shoved each other back and forth, the younger man ensuring the other never once glanced at Veronica, she managed to plant the small recording device on the phone. After all her talk about Sabrina, and experiencing her apparently jealous boyfriend, Veronica was sure Vinnie’s next call would be to whomever hired him to harass Sabrina, to call of the dogs, so to speak.

“Logan, please,” she said suddenly cutting between him and the PI. “This is crazy. Okay, so I lied about going to see Sabrina, but this was just to help her out,” she said as she gazed up at him with faked adoration. “I know I said I’d give up the detective life for you, and I will, I swear, but please don’t be mad at me. You know I love you.”

She acted well, there was no denying it and looking down into her eyes right now, Logan forgot the rest of the world, forgot they were acting for the sake of a case, and completely forgot the audience of one they had as he put his arms around Veronica and pulled her into a deep kiss. Though she was a little stunned, she couldn’t protest, after all it’d blow her cover. After a few seconds, Veronica found she didn’t even want to stop this. It felt good, just like it had an hour ago when it happened before. Later she’d worry about the whys and wherefores of what they were doing, right now she was just revelling in the moment, at least until Vinnie tapped her on the shoulder and suggested maybe she and Logan get a room.

With that they left, hand in hand for appearances sake till they got down onto the street and Veronica slipped her fingers free of Logan’s grasp.

“Is it just my imagination,” he asked her, “or is that becoming a habit today?”

“Save the big questions for later,” Veronica told him, glad to have a reason to avoid talking about it as she leapt back in her car and tuned into the bug she’d planted in the office upstairs.

“Cho’s Pizza,” said the voice on the other end of the line, followed by Vinnie asking to speak to the manager. When asked if there was a problem with the food he’d ordered, the PI agitatedly told the girl who’d picked up that he wasn’t interested in pizza right now, he had a private matter to discuss with Jim Cho. Now Veronica understood who was messing with Sabrina. She only wished the reason for her and Logan kissing twice in the past hour would come to her as easily.


	4. Tell Me Why

Veronica was slightly disturbed by the fact she could name even one time when she’d been overjoyed by the presence of Dick Casablancas, but just a few of days ago she had never been so happy to see a person in her life!

Driving from Vinnie Vanlowe’s office towards Sabrina Fuller’s house, Veronica had found the silence between herself and Logan both awkward and uncomfortable, and yet she was glad of the fact he was no longer asking her questions as to why on no less than two occasions they’d ended up kissing that day. There was no explanation, at least not any that Veronica was comfortable with and so when they’d stopped at a red light and found themselves next to a familiar vehicle containing Dick and Beaver, offering to give Logan a ride to somewhere more exciting than wherever he was going with the PI’s daughter, Veronica was thrilled that Logan accepted and left her alone. He’d made an excuse about his car not starting and his old friend offering him a ride. Dick had made some unseemly comment, Logan shot her an apologetic look, and Veronica had ignored both admirably well as she drove away as fast as the law would allow.

She’d been glad of the weekend. Gladder still that Logan had not attempted to contact her on either day of it, not that she’d really expected him to, but then the young Mr Echolls wasn’t exactly behaving in any way she was used to lately. They’d gone from being indifferent acquaintances to saliva swapping buddies pretty fast and as unsettling as it was, what worried Veronica more was that the only explanation she had for their sudden want to be close was simply that they liked each other. Sure, Logan could be the king of all jackasses sometimes, but at other times, he could be a total sweetheart. He was obviously totally cute, and since she’d known him Veronica had always thought if only he could get a personality transplant she could have happily traded places with Lilly and dated him, though of course she’d never said such a thing to her friend or anyone else.

Veronica sighed and closed her notebook that she’d been staring at but not really seeing. Every case she worked on lately, she prayed it would distract her enough she’d forget about Logan and her confused feelings for him for a while, but none of them did. Sabrina’s mystery harrasser was uncovered as Vinnie Vanlowe, working on behalf of Hamilton Cho’s father, determined that his own son would be valedictorian instead of Sabrina herself getting the title. Then there was Able Koontz’s daughter, Amelia deLongpre, who had been contacted by Clarence Wiedman and had disappeared without a word making Veronica and Keith’s job a lot harder when it came to solving the Lilly Kane murder case once and for all. Now it seemed someone had plans to blow up the school in which she sat, and Veronica thought how dumb it was that despite having a possible mass homicide on her hands, she was still letting thoughts of Logan Echolls dominate her brain.

“Earth to Mars!” she heard suddenly and glanced up to see Wallace waving his hand in her face. “Damn girl, where’d you go?” he asked, chuckling as he sat down beside her at the lunch table.

“To a land far, far away,” she joked. “What do you know about that Ben kid?” she asked out of the blue and Wallace glanced across at the boy in question before looking back at his friend with a smile.

“You’re unbelievable.” He shook his head. “You want me to go get his file, don’t you?” he asked, already knowing it was true. He found it amusing rather than thinking he was being used or anything. He knew the way Veronica worked, and she was a good friend when it came down to it.

“It’s for the greater good, Wallace,” she assured him. “Doesn’t Ben look like total bomb threat material,” she suggested as she looked over the young man in army fatigues whom she had heard this morning talking about death and destruction in front of a whole classroom full of people.

“I’ll check out his friend too,” Wallace told her, gesturing vaguely at Norris who sat beside Ben at the lunch table across the way. “Clemmons made him turn his shirt inside out, 'cause it said ‘Kill ’em all. Let God sort ’em out’,” he quoted just as one of his fellow basketball jocks called his name. Apologising he left the table and Veronica behind, hurrying over to his friend to see what he was needed for.

Frowning, Veronica flipped open her laptop, accessed the Internet and typed in the web address she’d seen scratched into various paint-work around the school lately; www.KillEmAll.net. A large clock counting down from just over forty six hours greeted her and her frown deepened at the sight of it. Was it really possible that Ben and Norris were just biding their time, waiting for the moment they could blow the school sky high? Of course Norris had earned his reputation as a thug and bully back in junior high, but blowing up buildings full of people was a whole other ballgame, and something Veronica couldn’t quite believe he was capable of, after all, he’d always been pleasant enough to her...

“All you talking about here is death, heavy metal music, and bombs, and stuff like that.”

The very person she was thinking of and looking at suddenly got up from his seat, yelling these words at his supposed new best friend, Ben.

“It’s no big deal, just relax.” The other boy shrugged, but Norris shook his head as he moved away from the lunch table, telling Ben he no longer wanted to hang out with him.

Hearing what was said, and seeing the almost sinister expression on Ben’s face that followed the altercation, Veronica’s investigator instincts just wouldn’t let her watch him walk away.

* * *

Veronica sat in her car, across from where Ben was loading the back of his car with fertiliser - the very kind that could be used as an explosive. Plus there was the large gun he’d put in the trunk too, all in all he was making her very nervous as she took a couple of shots with her camera through the windshield, and kept her eyes locked on the scene, at least until her cell-phone rang and took her attention.

“Now is not the time,” Veronica complained as she glanced at her phone and read the display that said ‘Logan calling’. She let it ring a couple more times, but it was clear he wasn’t giving in and she knew couldn’t avoid him forever. At least talking on the phone would be a little less awkward than seeing him face-to-face for the ‘why the hell did we end up kissing twice’ talk.

“Hey, Logan,” she said, cheerily and nonchalantly as possible, as she took the call.

“Veronica.” He sighed, apparently relieved to finally talk to her. “Y’know you’re not an easy woman to get a hold of Miss Mars.”

“Oh, I don’t know, you didn’t seem to have a problem ‘getting a hold of me’ in Vinnie Vanlowe’s office the other day,” she said with a tone that was half way between annoyed and mischievous. In all honesty, she wasn’t really mad at Logan for making a move on her that way when he knew she couldn’t or wouldn’t stop him, she ought to have been mad, but she wasn’t.

“That’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about...” he said, without a sarcastic comment or witty retort of any kind. Veronica was almost more unnerved by Logan’s rarely-heard serious tone than she was by the guy climbing into her car, pointing a gun at her.

“Oh my God, what do you think you’re doing?” she said, overly loudly as she shoved the cell-phone down beside her, the call still connected so Logan could hear.

“Let’s go for a ride,” Ben told her. “I guess you know where since you’ve been following me.”

“The Camelot?” Veronica checked and it was all Logan needed to hear. He swiftly shut off his cell-phone, shoved it in his pocket and raced toward his car, jumping inside in a movie-star move that would have made his father proud. He wasn’t totally clear on why he was playing knight in shining armour to Veronica’s rarely-used damsel in distress routine, but whoever had plans to mess with her was about find out nobody had the right to do that, not whilst he was around.

* * *

“I know you think you’re being a hero,” Ben told Veronica as he half-led, half-dragged her up the outside staircase at the Camelot motel. “but a lot of people might die because of you,” he explained to her, seconds before he turned and his face was met by a fist belonging to one Logan Echolls. As Ben flew forward, something dropped out of his pocket and Veronica dived for it, as the two young men fought on, both of them eventually stumbling back away from each other, clutching their respective injuries. Veronica quickly got between them.

“Stop it!” she yelled, before turning to her friend. “Logan, Ben’s a federal agent,” she said, showing him the badge she’d retrieved from the ground. The two boys eyed each other suspiciously still and Veronica quickly explained to Ben who Logan was and why he’d attacked him. He seemed to understand after that and let the matter go, but despite Ben explaining his own situation including his being undercover at Neptune High to monitor Norris, Logan didn’t look at all happy about leaving him alone with Veronica again.

“I’d really rather talk to you alone,” Ben said, glancing at the blonde who looked uncomfortable.

“You can trust us both,” she assured him, and though he was vary wary of Logan’s right hook, Ben nodded and decided he may as well explain in front of the boy, after all it seemed likely he’d ask Veronica right after what had been said and she would doubtless divulge all. He must be the jealous boyfriend to have hit him the way he had, and Ben was sure he’d have a black eye in no time. He was quite pleased with himself for not taking the beating lying down though, Logan had yet to stop his nose bleeding though he was trying to cover the fact it was bothering him.

“Part of my job at the ATF is monitoring internet traffic,” Ben began. “Norris kept a website that was troubling. We discovered countless emails he’d sent to other students, lots of red-flag words - retribution, bomb, arsenal, gun show, fertiliser, Waco, Columbine,” he explained. “We think that he’s the leader of scores of like-minded misfits who are waiting for his signal to attack."

“Is this signal a countdown clock?” Veronica guessed, and been nodded positively. “If he’s such a threat, why haven’t you brought him in yet?"

“It’s difficult,” Ben told her. “If we pick him up now, we can hold him for 48 hours, then we either have to charge him or release him. Now I either need evidence that he’s hoarding banned weapons or I need to get my hands on the list of the names of the people he’s been corresponding with... I need your help, Veronica,” he told her and Logan laughed.

“You kidnap her and then ask her for a favour,” he scoffed. “Yeah, you’re a real nice agent-man.”

“I need someone to get close to Norris,” Ben explained, glaring at him. “I pushed him too hard, spooked him. Now I’m screwed if I don't get him off the streets by tomorrow. I’ve been to his house but I haven’t been in his bedroom or the garage,” he went on to say. “He’s mentioned on more than a few occasions that he likes you, Veronica,” he told her with a look that said he was using like to mean more than just in a friends way. “If anybody stands a chance of getting the information we need it’s you.”

“Okay.” She nodded and Logan’s mouth dropped open.

“Okay?” he echoed with wide eyes. “You’re not seriously going to do what this guy says, are you? Geez, Veronica-”

“Logan, please,” she interrupted him, putting her hand up to signal she wanted him silent as she turned to Ben and made her deal with him. He disappeared rather quickly into his motel room after that and Veronica looked back at Logan who was now leaning against the balcony, one hand going to his nose and still coming away bloody which didn’t thrill him.

“Hey,” she said as she reached his side, putting a tentative hand to his arm. When he looked at her she winced at the sight of his blood-stained face which was also starting to bruise. “We should get you home, get you cleaned up,” she told him. “It’s the least I can do since you kinda saved me back there... at least, it would’ve been saving if Ben was the bad guy we thought he was,” she rambled a little, stopping sharply when she felt Logan’s hand at her cheek, making her look at him once again.

“It scared me, when I thought you were in trouble,” he admitted, a little too seriously for her liking. “When I thought what might be happening I-”

“It’s okay,” Veronica interrupted, her heart breaking as she realised how upset he was about this, but then after what had happened to Lilly it wasn’t all that surprising. His last girlfriend had been brutally murdered and he hadn’t been around to save her. Now here they were, not exactly dating but getting closer all the time and from what he’d heard via the cell-phone link, Veronica had no doubt he’d thought the worst about her situation with Ben, much as she had at the time.

“Come on, let’s get you home,” she said softly, physically turning him towards the stairs and leading him down to her car. He’d have to pick his up later, she didn’t really want him driving like this. Quite a lot of blood was leaking out of his head, the last thing she wanted was him losing control of his vehicle and ending up more badly hurt... or worse.


	5. Ex, Guys, and Videotape

“I think I finally stopped bleeding,” Logan realised as he and Veronica went into a small guest house at the Echolls family home. His decision not to face his father or half-sister in this state was one she understood, after all they’d be all questions that neither of them were really supposed to answer. It was easier just to hide away here for now.

“Are you dizzy or anything?” Veronica checked. “'Cause I was thinking with the amount of blood you lost maybe we should take you to a doctor or-”

“I’m fine,” he assured her, smiling at her concern as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He watched as she dug around in her bag and produced a mini-version of a first aid kit and laid out what she needed on the bed beside him.

“My, my, Miss Mars,” he commented as he watched her. “Aren’t you just a regular little girl scout, prepared for every occasion?” he said with the appropriate salute. Veronica just rolled her eyes.

“Hold still,” she said as she approached him with damp gauze to clean up his face. He flinched a little as she tended to him but soon didn’t feel a thing, at least not in the region of his nose as he realised just how close they’d gotten again.

Veronica knew Logan was watching her every move, but she was determined to concentrate on what she was doing and not let her eyes meet his. If that happened, she didn’t like to think where it’d end and until they figured out precisely what it was that was developing between them, it was probably best not to go down that road.

It was weird to think this was the same guy who Lilly used to date. Back then, Logan was literally just her best friend’s guy, they really only saw each other on double dates and when the group all hung out together. Veronica was always with Duncan, Logan was always with Lilly, they spent little time actually talking to each other. Now she was seeing him differently, and he was clearly seeing her in a new light to. If she still believed in fairytales, Veronica might think it was entirely romantic that the two people who’d been chewed up and spat out by the Kane family were now finding solace in each other, but she wasn’t the fairy-princess loving girl she used to be.

‘If only it were that simple,’ Veronica thought to herself as she finished cleaning up Logan’s face and turned away from him. If it was just comfort she was seeking it wouldn’t feel like this, and Logan could have pretty much any girl he wanted if this was about getting under someone in order to get over someone else. No, there was a definite connection here, one that couldn’t be described too easily, but it was there.

“Hey, Earth to Mars,” Logan called to her from where he was now laid out on the bed with his hands behind his head. She turned and glanced at him.

“Yeah, that one’s getting a little old.” She rolled her eyes. “Wallace uses it to death.”

“Maybe because you zone out more often than anybody else he knows,” Logan suggested. “Sometimes it’s like you really have gone to Mars, Miss Mars.” He smirked.

“Sometimes I almost wish I could,” she told him with a wry smile that he returned, he knew exactly what she meant, he was maybe one of the only people who did. After Lilly’s death and all the upheaval that followed, both of them could have happily floated away to another place where none of it mattered.

“Ouch,” she said as her eyes went down and she spotted the state of Logan’s hand which had a gash across the knuckles. “We should clean that up too, I actually don’t have any antiseptic but... hey, liquor cabinet,” she said, as she glanced over and spotted said item of furniture. “Huh,” she said, giving him a look when she realised it was locked.

“Yeah, it’s almost cute that I need a key to that, isn’t it?” Logan smirked, leaning across the bed and reaching beneath it for something. Veronica was a little surprised to see a screwdriver in his hand which he held out to her.

“You want me to pick the lock with that?” she asked with an amused smirk, sure she could do it with a hair slide or a paperclip maybe but a screwdriver?

“I have a key,” Logan told her, rolling his eyes. “It’s just hidden somewhere safe,” he told her, pointing with the tool towards the airvent high up on the wall. “Since my head got swimmy just from moving to get this, you think you might want to do the honours?”

With a smile and a nod Veronica took the screwdriver from him and stood up on a stool to reach the airvent he’d gestured to.

“You learnt this from Lilly,” she said as she unscrewed the hatch and reached in to pull out the key to the liquor cabinet.

“No, Lilly learnt this from me.” Logan smirked as he lay out on the bed on his back, staring at the ceiling. He was unaware of Veronica as she got the key and walked back across the room, opening up the liquor cabinet and selecting a bottle. She spoke to him, he definitely heard something and yet he couldn’t have answered if he’d wanted to since he hadn’t heard her words.

“Veronica,” he said with a frown that bothered her when she noticed it. “Am I hallucinating a camera on the ceiling?” he checked.

“Okay, if this is some kind of dirty trick to get me to lie on that bed with you-” she began but he cut her off.

“No, seriously, that is a camera right?” he asked, gingerly sitting up a little. Veronica twisted herself to see what he was looking at and ended up finding the best way was just to climb onto the bed beside him after all. Her eyes moved from the camera lens she too could see, along the boxing that must hold the cables for the equipment. She moved off the bed again without a word and went over to the opposite wall, Logan following her on unsteady feet.

“Oh my God,” Veronica gasped, the look on her face pure disgust as she slid apart two sections of the bookcase that stood before them, revealing a video recorder and two screens, both trained on different views of the bed.

“Okay, I had no idea about this, Veronica, I swear,” Logan told her quickly, knowing what she must be thinking. He really was being honest about this, he seriously had no idea, and she could tell from the genuine look of shock on his face that he was telling her the truth.

“Then why is this here, who would...?” she began, only to have the question answered in her own head. Aaron was a big time movie star, he loved to be on camera and she knew from the past how many women offered themselves to him, and that there were plenty whose offers he accepted. “Excuse me for the Clueless moment, but eeww,” she said, making a face as she pushed the bookcase back the way it used to look.

“Daddy Dearest strikes again.” Logan sighed. “I’m just so darn proud,” he said, sarcasm obvious as he moved to sit back down on the bed, his head spinning somewhat anyway.

“Do we have to stay here?” Veronica asked, not moving from the spot she stood in, knowing from here she wasn’t on camera. “It’s kind of creepy knowing I’m on Aaron-Cam,” she admitted with a slight shudder as she glanced up at the lens in the fan.

“Gotta hand it to the old man.” Logan sighed. “Just when you think he can’t get any worse...” he said, letting the sentence just hang there, gesturing up towards the camera lens above him as he laid back on the bed once again.

It seemed to Veronica that Logan wasn’t really in a fit state to face his family still and she didn’t want to make him move, she also didn’t want to leave him alone right now. She could easily switch off Mr Echolls’ camera but then if he found out they knew about it, things might not go well, after all he didn’t take kindly to a great many things his son got up to anyway...

With a sigh she sat down on the edge of the bed next to Logan. There was no microphone with the camera it seemed, she could live with being filmed as they sat here and talked if she had to.

“Are you still dizzy?” she checked and he turned his head to look at her.

“Kind of,” he admitted. “Although, I don’t mind the fact that there’s _two_ beautiful girls sitting next to me right now.” He grinned, and Veronica frowned for a moment before realising what he meant, and moreover catching on to the fact he’d called her beautiful.

“Let’s see,” she said thoughtfully, counting points on her fingers. “Fighting for my honour, sharing the secrets of the liquor cabinet key, and paying me compliments.” She smiled slightly. “You’re sure this is the first head injury you’ve suffered this week?” she checked jokingly, but Logan looked far more serious.

“Veronica,” he said, reaching for her hand and pulling himself up to a siting position beside her, he was so close she could feel his words as well as hear them. “I don’t know what this is that we have. I wasn’t looking for it, I wasn’t expecting it but...” He smiled as he pushed her hair off her face and looked into her eyes. “I think I’m falling-” he said softly only to be drowned out by the loud ringing of her cell-phone.

Veronica jumped like a scalded cat and was up off the bed in seconds, scrambling in her bag for her cell, laughing like a crazy person.

“Always in demand,” she joked. “I really should get this.”

“No, not again,” Logan said determinedly as he pushed himself to his feet, reached over to her and grabbed the phone from her hand holding it high above his head. There was enough of a height difference between them that she just could not reach the thing though she tried hard enough.

“Give me my cell, Logan!” she demand, reaching in frustration for the item which he was determined she would not have.

“Why? So you can have an excuse to run off into the blue yonder again?” he asked her. “Leaving me with another half finished sentence and no kind of answer?”

“God, you’re pain in the ass sometimes,” she complained, reaching for her phone once again.

In her efforts she lost her footing, tumbling forward and pushing straight into Logan who fell backwards under her weight. They both landed back on the bed, her on top of him in a position that he might well have taken much more advantage of had it not been for his concussion and the shock of the sudden landing.

Her phone briefly forgotten as it finally stopped ringing, Veronica looked down on Logan who lay beneath her, feeling all kinds of things she couldn’t explain and a few she could but would rather not. A part of her so wanted to kiss him right now, just let this happen, because she knew it’d feel great, and yet an over-riding feeling of guilt stopped her.

“No,” she said aloud to herself as she dragged herself off Logan and back onto her feet. “This... this can’t keep happening,” she said more to herself than anybody else as she pushed her hair back off her face and calmed herself down.

“That was kind of my point too.” Logan sighed as he pulled himself up a little, leaning back on his elbows. “Veronica, what is it? What’s stopping us from being... close?” he asked her, not really sure how best to phrase what he wanted to say, in all honesty not really sure of anything right now apart from the fact his feelings for Veronica had changed so much lately. He liked her, more than liked her, he felt like he was falling in love with her, maybe even deeper than he ever fell for...

“Lilly,” Veronica said suddenly, as if she’d been reading Logan’s thoughts and decided to finish his sentence for him. “It’s complicated because of Lilly,” she admitted, glancing at the floor, her foot shifting across the carpet as she wished she were anywhere but here right now, doing anything but having this conversation.

“Veronica.” She hadn’t realised Logan had moved and was now standing right in front of her until he spoke. “Y’know, Lilly and me, it was good, but... I always knew it wasn’t forever,” he admitted. “I guess you could say I loved Lilly, and Lilly loved men.” He smiled, but Veronica couldn’t share his happy expression.

“Logan, she did love you,” she insisted and he nodded slowly.

“Yeah,” he agreed, “but she knew same as me it wasn’t going to be rides into the sunset and happily ever after. That’s why this, whatever it is we have, it’s okay,” he explained.

Though Veronica remained uncertain, she let him put his arms around her without protest and looked up at him with watery eyes. Talking about Lilly always got to her eventually, no matter what the situation.

“I don’t know what I’m feeling right now,” she admitted shakily, “but Logan, you mean something to me... a lot lately, and it’s scary and weird but... but you’re right.” She nodded. “It’s okay.”

He smiled at that, glad to have got her agreement, and the admission that she at least felt something for him - it was a start.

“Here,” he said, letting go of her and holding out her cell-phone. “You’ll need to be checking which source was on the line.” He smirked as she took it from him and considered her next move. The call might be important, but what was developing between herself and Logan could so easily prove to be more so.

“Hey,” she caught his attention, her hand going to his arm and turning him back around. “It’ll wait,” she said with a smile, tossing her cell to one side as she stepped in close to him, reached up, and kissed him firmly on the lips. She made his head spin a little more that it already was, but he wasn’t going to complain, not at all.


	6. Community Soap

“Mars Investigations,” Veronica said tiredly into the phone. She was at the office, tying up loose ends of cases, getting her homework done, and still taking calls for her dad, despite the fact it was getting decidedly late.

“Wow, that’s not the chirpy greeting I was hoping for,” said the voice on the other end of the line, and Veronica smiled at the sound of it.

“Mr Echolls, I presume,” she said with a grin. “Couldn’t wait for me to call you, huh?” she checked, knowing she’d promised to do just that this evening.

“Actually I did wait, a ridiculous amount of time,” he told her. “And you didn’t call, so I went by your house and there was no-one home-”

A knock on the door, took Veronica’s attention and she called to whomever was there that it was open, whilst concentrating on the clock on her computer screen and talking quickly to Logan.

“I am so sorry, Logan, really,” she apologise. “I guess I lost track of time and... hey.” She smiled once again when she realised he was not only on the phone to her but also standing right in front of her, having been the person at the door.

“Apology accepted,” he assured her as he leaned over the desk and kissed her lips.

“I think my sneakiness is rubbing off on you,” she said, hanging up the phone and watching as he pulled over a chair and sat himself down opposite her.

“You can rub off on me anytime you want, baby,” he told he with a look that made her laugh. His attempts to be sexy or dirty always had that effect, she preferred to always take it as a joke right now, not willing to accept he was serious and actually deal with their relationship going that far yet.

Veronica opened her mouth to speak but a yawn escaped instead and she quickly apologised for it.

“You had a rough day?” Logan asked her, looking concerned.

“Kind of,” she agreed with a nod. “Several busy but ultimately successful rough days in quick succession.” She smiled as she got up from the desk, walking around it to put some files away. It was a strangely succinct description of quite a crazy time.

A trip to Norris’ house had been quite the revelation as Veronica realised he just couldn’t be guilty of the crimes Ben accused him. Even as the boy was arrested, she was sure he was innocent and had managed to prove it thanks to a little help from both Wallace and Mac. Norris’ next door neighbour, Pete, was the real hell-raiser, sending fake emails and bomb-threats via the WiFi he could access from living so close. One issue of the Navigator with special expose article later and the correct man went down for the crime. The only problem Veronica had with that was her teacher, Ms Stafford, getting fired. She felt partly responsible for that and it bothered her, though she hadn’t actually forced her to let them print the bomb-related story that led to her being fired. She’d been just as eager for the truth to come out.

As Veronica shook too many thoughts from her tired head and moved to pass Logan once again he grabbed her, pulling her down onto his lap and kissing her a second time, with all the passion he could muster.

“I have been waiting too long to do that,” he whispered when they finally parted for air, their foreheads still touching.

“We have to find someplace at school where we can be alone.” Veronica nodded. “It’s not easy walking past you in the halls, pretending to still hate you.”

“Well, you’re the brainy one here,” he reminded her. “Just solve the case like you usually do.”

“Are you saying I’m the brains and you’re the beauty in this relationship?” she asked with fake shock.

“No.” He smirked at her suggested and her expression. “You’re both,” he told her, leaning in for another kiss only to be interrupted by the phone on the desk ringing into life. “It’s a curse, really, it has to be,” he said as he stood up, depositing Veronica back on her feet. With an apologetic look, she hopped up to sit on the edge of the desk and leant over to reach the ringing phone and answer it.

“Mars Investi- Dad?” she said with a frown that bothered Logan. Too many tragedies had occurred in both their lives, he was always afraid of another, much as he assumed she was.

“It’s okay, honey, I don’t want you to panic. I’m fine, okay?” Keith told his daughter firmly, the last thing he wanted was for her to think something terrible was happening though he couldn’t really blame her for doing so, especially after what had happened with Lilly dying and then Lianne leaving. “I’m at the Sheriff’s station, I just handed in that guy I was tailing,” he explained. “The thing of it is, whilst I was waiting here they brought in Eli Navarro. I know he’s kind of a friend of yours so I thought you ought to know, sweetie. He got arrested for breaking into the Kane house - Lilly’s bedroom.”

“Oh my God,” Veronica gasped, unintentionally making her boyfriend worry even more. “Why was he there, do you know what he broke in for?” she checked.

“I don’t know,” her father admitted. “And I doubt he’d want to tell me even if I got the opportunity to ask.”

Veronica knew that intentional or not he’d just hinted that Weevil might tell her what he was breaking into the house for. Of course she knew by now that he and Lilly had a relationship before she died. What exactly that relationship entailed was unclear, though Veronica had her assumptions. Maybe it was purely physical for Lilly, the thrill of dating someone that would make her mother’s head spin if she knew, but she wondered if it were different for Weevil. The way he’d talked to the school councillor about their relationship suggested he really had loved Lilly, which seemed strange and yet true.

When Veronica hung up the phone she was still frowning and Logan was eager to know if everything was okay, or if there was something he could do.

“Weevil got arrested,” she told him absently as she thought over the situation.

“Oh, that’s all?” Logan scoffed. “For a second I was almost worried.”

“Logan.” The way she said his name was reprimand enough and he looked apologetic.

“Come on, Veronica.” He sighed. “I’m really supposed to care about that guy?” he asked her. “We’re hardly bosom buddies.” He rolled his eyes.

“Kinda lacking in some equipment for that,” she said with an amused look before turning serious once again. “Look, Weevil’s helped me out in the past, now he needs my help.”

“With what exactly?” Logan was keen to know. “I mean are you seriously going to get him off for something you know he did?”

“I don’t know exactly what he did yet,” she admitted as she gathered her things together, pushing books, and her cell, and other items into her bag. “All I know is what they’re accusing him off - breaking and entering at the Kane house,” she told him, stopping what she was doing to look at him and meet his eyes. “Lilly’s bedroom,” she admitted and Logan glanced away.

Veronica hated to think it hurt him to hear her words, but she was determined to be honest with him, about everything. Secrets and lies pulled too many people apart, she didn’t want that for herself and Logan.

“I’m not stupid, Veronica,” he told her with a brave half-smile, glancing at the floor and back. “I know she was... with him,” he said awkwardly, and all she could do was nod in response as she finished gathering her things together, preparing to head down to the Sheriff’s office in the hopes of getting to talk to their latest arrest.

“Do you think she..?” Logan began, stopping and starting over after a deep breath. “Do you think Lilly loved Weevil?” he asked and Veronica looked uneasily at him.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “She never mentioned anything to me about him. I’m sorry,” she said like a reflex, not really sure what she was apologising for, after all none of this was her fault, but she did feel bad for Logan. Obviously it hurt him to know his girlfriend had feelings for someone else, even if the reality of the situation was that he’d always know they weren’t destined for a happily ever after.

“Don’t be sorry,” he told her with a shake of his head. “I’m not. I have my memories of Lilly, most of them are good. I know she loved me, in her way, and I know I loved her. What she did or didn’t feel for Weevil or anybody else, it’s not important anymore,” he said with another of those brave smiles he’d learnt to be so good at.

Veronica stepped in closer to him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. She didn’t say a word, neither of them did, but they didn’t have to. Though ‘I love you’ wasn’t something either of them was ready to say yet, they both knew the feelings were there, growing all the time.

“Drive me to the Sheriff’s office?” she asked when they parted a little. “You don’t have to wait for me, my dad can bring me home,” she said quickly, knowing the last person he’d want to wait around for was Weevil.

“At your service, Miss Mars,” he said with a fake bow as they headed out to his car, Veronica smiling at his antics, but already worrying about where tonight would end with regards to Weevil and his latest criminal activity.

* * *

“Why were you in Lilly’s room?” Veronica asked the very moment ske walked into the room and faced Weevil through the bars of his cell.

“And it’s nice to see you too, V.” He smirked as she took a seat in front of him. She did not look at all amused by his joke or his attitude.

“I know about you and Lilly. I know about the letters,” she told him, knowing that at least should get a more serious reaction out of the guy who thought he was so smart and tough. Everybody had a weak spot, and Lilly, it seemed, was the Achilles heel of many a man.

“Yeah?” Weevil said with a much nastier expression than he’d been wearing before. “Well, whatever you know, that’s not all there is to it,” he snapped, which only told Veronica she was getting somewhere.

“I don’t care what there was to it,” she admitted with a shake of her head as she watched him pace up and down. “What I want to know is why you were in Lilly’s bedroom. The truth, Weevil,” she said, meeting his eyes as he glanced at her.

“A diamond ring,” he said quietly, looking to the ground and then back at her. “I broke in to get back my mother’s engagement ring,” he explained. “At one time I was dumb enough to think I wanted Lilly to have it.”

He obviously felt very weird telling anybody this kind of thing. Veronica doubted Weevil talked to his friends or family or anyone about his future, settling down with marriage and kids, but inside this hard-nosed biker, this gang leader, this criminal, there was a really sweet guy who had loved Lilly to no end it seemed.

“Did you find the ring?” she asked, doubting he had, after all Leo had just now told her the items they’d found on Weevil when he was brought in, and unless he swallowed it, the ring wasn’t present.

“No,” he admitted, as she’d been sure he would. “Look, I didn’t want all this,” he told her, shaking his head. “Veronica, the Kanes want me crucified for this and now that I’m eighteen?”

“Goodbye juvie, hello community soap,” she said sadly, realising how serious his predicament really was.

“Yeah,” he agreed with a nod. “I told them what I was there for but they don’t believe me. They think I was tryin’ to steal the family jewels or whatever, I just wanted what was mine.” He shrugged and Veronica thought it over.

“So, if we can prove there was a ring in Lilly’s bedroom that belonged to you,” she considered, “that proves your story, and I doubt Celeste is going to want it made public knowledge that you and her daughter were ever contemplating marriage, she’s likely to let the whole thing drop.”

“Damn, girl, is that brain of yours ever in less than over-drive?” He smirked briefly. “Still one problem, how you gonna find that ring? I looked everywhere, it’s like it evaporated or somethin’. Maybe Lilly didn’t even keep it.”

“Oh, she would’ve kept it.” Veronica smiled. “Us girls talk about secrets and how we go about keeping them,” she explained. “And just because she kept you under wraps doesn’t mean I can’t figure this out, I still knew her better than most.”

“I’m counting on it,” Weevil told her as he came up close to the bars. “I can’t go to jail, Veronica, for my grandmother's sake, I-”

“You won’t go to jail,” the blonde assured him. “I swear, I’ll solve this.”  
“You always come through,” he agreed and though Veronica smiled her agreement to that sentence she couldn’t help but wonder if she really could keep her word this time. There was only so many times she could magic a Get Out of Jail Free Card from up her sleeve, she hoped the fates allowed her just one more.


	7. The Men of Mars

“Veronica.” Leo smiled as she appeared from the cells into the main part of the Sheriff’s station. “I’ve been trying to call you for days, are you okay?” he checked, getting up and coming over to her.

She accepted the hug he initiated, holding him tight for a moment before pulling away. She felt awful about what she had to do to this sweet guy, after all he’d done nothing to deserve the unceremonious dumping he must endure. The truth of it was she just didn’t feel for him what she felt for Logan, and for days she’d fought with herself over how to tell him. She had two reasons for being here today, and the one she must deal with first was ending the relationship between herself and Deputy Leo.

“I’m pretty good,” she said awkwardly. “I, uh, I’ve been busy lately”

“Trying to crack another important case, huh?” He smirked, knowing it was her full time hobby. She smiled back at him but it didn’t reach her eyes, and he noticed.

“Leo, I have something I have to tell you,” she said, her fingers tangling and untangling as she shifted her feet. “I can’t date you anymore,” she admitted finally, sub-consciously holding her breath until he responded.

“Uh-huh,” he said eventually. “Well, gotta say, not quite what I was expecting.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to date me,” Veronica told him quickly. “I’m a train wreck, seriously. The first guy I ever loved now barely talks to me and it’s probably because of something I said, the last guy I dated turned out to be a drug dealer, and now, well, there’s some feelings developing for my dead best friend’s boyfriend, who, incidentally, I hated up to about a week ago,” she said with an awkward half-smile. “So, hi, my name is Veronica Mars and I’m a train wreck,” she recited with her hand raised as if she were at an AA meeting.

“I wish I could say that any of that made me feel better.” He sighed. “Or actually made sense.” He shook his head and frowned as he realised he really hadn’t followed any of it too well.

“Well, on the bright side, you’re seriously hot,” she told him honestly, “so you'll be single for about... oh, three and a half seconds,” she said, looking at her watch as if she’d just worked that out.

“That makes me feel a little better.” He forced a smile, though he wasn’t at all happy to have been dumped by a girl he really thought he could’ve loved for a while there.

“That’s good.” Veronica nodded once, starting to shift uncomfortably once again. “And I’m really hoping we can still be friends after this because... well, because I kind of need to follow this confession by asking for a favour,” she admitted.

Leo honestly wasn’t sure whether to be shocked, or just amused by that.

* * *

“Deputy, what can I do for you?” Jake Kane asked as Leo was brought in to see him in his office at the house.

“After some further questioning of Eli Navarro, I’m going to need to check a couple of things at the scene of the crime, if that’s okay,” Leo explained.

“Whatever it takes to get that boy dealt with.” Jake nodded. “My daughter’s room is just down the hall,” he gestured in the right direction and with a smile and a nod Leo headed down there.

He pushed the door closed behind himself and glanced around. He was overly aware of the fact he was now breaking the law rather than serving it, but this was for Veronica. Despite the fact she’d dumped him just a half hour ago, he was still taking risks for her, still dancing to her tune. He wondered if the new man in her life was similarly cursed. He’d like to bet any and all men that had fallen for the Mars charm had the same problem, as he crossed to the window and opened it up.

“You’re a prince, Leo.” Veronica smiled as he helped her through the open window into her best friends bedroom.

It took Veronica a moment to get her bearings, after all it was a long time since she’d last been here in this room. The weird thing was, so much was just the same. The Kanes really hadn’t touched most of it, it was all as it would’ve been had Lilly still been alive and it brought a lump to Veronica’s throat and a tear to her eye as she thought about it.

“You okay?” Leo checked in a whisper and she nodded as she walked quietly over to the opposite wall, pulling over a chair and climbing up onto it so she was at the right height to reach the air-vent.

Pulling a screwdriver from her pocket she began unfastening the screws that held the cover in place. She probably wouldn’t have so easily thought of this as Lilly’s best hiding place, had it not been for Logan using the same trick for the liquor cabinet key, amongst other things.

If Weevil was telling the truth about the ring he’d given Lilly, and Veronica couldn’t really see a reason for him to lie to her, she was sure her friend would have stashed said item in the air-vent with her other secret treasures.

“Come on, Veronica,” Leo urged her, still whispering for fear of anybody hearing and wondering who he was talking to.

“Almost done,” she assured him in a similarly quiet tone as she pulled off the air-vent cover and reached her hand into the black void. “Huh,” she said as she realised she hadn’t put her hand on a ring but a piece of paper, then there were a couple of small cassettes, like those from a video camera, and finally she laid her hand on the ring.

“You find it?” Leo checked and Veronica looked down at the contents of her hands. She had no idea what the letter was, or the tapes, though she was pretty sure she could guess. There were so many pieces of film that the four of them, herself, Lilly, Logan, and Duncan, had recorded when they all used to hang out together. Certain tapes had confessions and the such like on them that Veronica was sure Lilly would never want Celeste or Jake to see. No doubt that was why she’d stashed them here like this. There would be no harm in her taking them, after all, she could use every memory of Lilly she could find to hold on to, and she thought maybe it might help Logan to see this too. With a smile she stuffed the two tapes into the inside pocket of her jacket before hopping down off the chair and holding up one slightly dusty engagement ring, a triumphant smile on her face.

“You’re one smart young lady, Veronica Mars,” Leo told her, looking astounded. “How’d you know where to find that?”

“If I told you, I’d have to kill you,” she admitted. “And I think this will help us too,” she said hopefully as she opened up the letter and found it to be exactly what she hoped it was - a love letter from Weevil to Lilly. It went with the ring, professing his love for her, talking explicitly about times when they’d been together, and whilst it didn’t propose marriage specifically it expressed a wish for the two of them to be together always. All this Veronica realised as she skim read the words, Leo at her shoulder doing the same.

“Wow,” he commented as he got to a paragraph he ought not to have been reading and Veronica pulled the paper away.

“Now comes the fun part.” She smirked, refolding the letter and heading out of the bedroom door. Leo wasn’t thrilled to know she was going to confront the Kanes with what she’d found. That would mean admitting he let her into the house, and that was a crime in case his little blonde friend had forgotten!

“Veronica!” he called after her as she barged her way through the house til she found Celeste in one of the sitting rooms, a large drink in her hand as she stared out of the window, her back to the door through which Veronica came hurtling.

“Mrs Kane, how lovely to see you.” Veronica smiled overly sweetly, the sarcasm evident in her tone.

“Veronica,” Celeste was obviously surprised to see her as she she turned around. “What on Earth are you doing in this house?” she demanded to know.  
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Celeste scoffed. “My daughter would never associate with that kind of... criminal.”

“I think this letter will prove to you that she did,” Veronica said, thrusting the piece of paper into the older woman’s hand. “Weevil and Lilly were seeing each other, and he wanted to marry her. Of course that wouldn’t work out too well for you; the only daughter of the great Kane family, married to a PCHer, head of the local biker gang,” she said, as Celeste began to read the letter in her hands, looking shocked. “Y’know, I’ll bet if the press found out about this little affair it wouldn’t look to good for you guys, what with being a supposed upstanding family and all.”

“You wouldn’t do that,” Celeste sneered. “You wouldn’t destroy the memory of my daughter that way,” she said, with more confidence than she really felt. Veronica might well be her own husband’s daughter and if she had any part of his genetics then she was capable of much more than she seemed.

“Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn’t,” the blonde said annoyingly, “but I can’t guarantee that Weevil won’t. He has nothing left to lose if he’s going to jail anyway,” she said as Celeste struggled between mixed emotions. She was angry, she was confused, and she knew Miss Mars had her over a barrel. She had to drop the charges against the Navarro boy, she couldn’t have this kind of story about her daughter and her family leaking into the media, she just couldn’t.

* * *

“...so the Kanes dropped the charges and Weevil is free as a bird.” Veronica shrugged as if it was no big deal, and all in a days work as she explained how she’d fixed everything to Logan. She’d slept most of Saturday having spent the better part of the night before playing Miss Fix It for Weevil. As soon as she’d woken up she knew how she wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening and that was with the two most important men in her life.

Working on a case that revolved around Lilly only served to remind her how short life was, how important it was to cram in everything, most of all time for loved ones. She’d spent the afternoon catching up with her dad, and then called Logan and he came over to pick her up and bring her back to his place for the evening.

Apparently his own father was cooking tonight and had invited Trina’s boyfriend over too, so there’d be no problem with his girlfriend being there. Veronica had got goosebumps when Logan referred to her that way, as his girlfriend It still felt awfully strange, especially since nobody else really knew about them. Still, she had to admit, she liked it.

“Miss Mars strikes again,” he said as he held her on his lap. “Y’know you might just be the most amazing woman I ever dated.”

“I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.” She rolled her eyes and giggled, making him smile too.

“Maybe,” he admitted, “but, and excuse the cliché, I never meant it 'til now,” he said, right before he kissed her. The moment went on becoming more intense, and both of them suddenly became very aware of the fact they were in his bedroom, as they let their hands roam. There was no telling what might have happened if a crash from beyond the window hadn’t caught their attention.

“Oh, just solving a little puzzle,” she shrugged innocently. “See, my friend Weevil, he did kind of a silly thing. He broke into Lilly’s room, but see, it wasn’t to steal the family crystal or your gold-plated dinner service.” She shook her head. “Nope, he just wanted what was his,” she said, holding up the item she spoke of. “The engagement ring he gave to Lilly before she died.”

“What was that?” Veronica asked breathlessly as she pulled away, and got to her feet.

“I don’t know.” Logan frowned slightly and the pair headed in the direction of the noise.

Neither could’ve guessed what sight would meet their eyes as they arrived on the patio only to realise that Aaron had Trina’s boyfriend on the ground, pummelling him within an inch of his life as the red-head cried in the corner.

As Logan’s father delivered a final kick to the younger man’s ribs, sending him sprawling to the floor barely conscious, Veronica visibly winced. It seemed Aaron didn’t notice her discomfort or perhaps just didn’t care as he stood straight and smiled at the blonde and his own son.

“Hey kids,” he greeted them. “Dinner’s almost ready. Hope you’re hungry.”

* * *

“So, when exactly are we going to get the the awkward ‘your father’s insane’ conversation?” Logan asked as he drove Veronica towards her dad’s office where she knew he’d still be. He had a lot of paperwork to catch up on and planned to do it whilst she was over at her boyfriends house. She knew, despite the fact he’d assured her he’d be done and home again before it got late, that he’d still be there. He didn’t know how to stop helping people.

“I never said your father was insane,” Veronica told her boyfriend. “Although I’ve got to admit, he was kind of... intense tonight,” she said carefully.

She knew already that Aaron was a violent man. Logan had spent years explaining away bruises, burns, and broken noses. What Trina had said a couple of weeks ago in the lobby of the Neptune Grand only added fuel to the fire that made Veronica believe Aaron Echolls was far from the perfect father. He beat on his son, maybe not as badly as he’d beaten on Trina’s boyfriend tonight, but it didn’t make it any the less wrong.

“That’s Daddy.” Logan smirked as he pulled the car over to the kerb and killed the engine. “Intense is his middle name,” he joked, before he saw his girlfriend’s expression. “He didn’t scare you, did he?” he checked, noticing the almost worried look on her face.

“It scares me that one minute he can be pummelling a guy into the ground and the next talking about dinner arrangements,” she admitted, “but it’s not me I’m scared for,” she told him with a look, as Logan sighed.

“I’m a big boy, Veronica, I can take care of myself,” he reminded her. “I don’t want you worrying about this, okay?” he told her, taking her hand in his and she nodded her head. She knew she still would worry about it, but if Logan said he could deal and he clearly didn’t want to continue discussing it, she wouldn’t push. She’d let it go, for now at least.

“I guess I should be going.” She sighed, glancing towards the office of Mars Investigations. “Dad probably has his binoculars to the glass, watching our every move.” She giggled and Logan smiled too as he turned to face the very window she spoke of and put up his hand.

“Five more minutes,” he said to match the hand signal and Veronica laughed.

Logan soon stopped her as he spun around and captured her lips with his own.

Beyond the window, Keith was indeed watching the display, ever wary of any man in his only daughter’s life.

The other spectator was less obvious to the kissing couple, and if they’d know he was there they certainly would not have continued so comfortably in their activity. Duncan had stopped by to see Veronica, to ask why she’d gone to Leo when it came to fixing the problem between the Kane family and Weevil. Surely she still trusted him, she could’ve got into the house much more easily by asking him to help her and yet she hadn’t. The fact was he’d barely seen her lately, much less talked to her, and he’d planned to ask her why. Now he didn’t need to, now he could see. She was seeing his best friend, one of the few people he still trusted, and he wasn’t happy about it.


	8. Trouble With Boys

“So, getting a little serious with you and the Echolls boy, huh?” Keith asked with appropriately fake-casual tone as Veronica came into the office.

“I’d answer that if I didn’t already know you were spying, and that you’ve made up your mind about this whole thing before I even get a chance to explain,” his daughter answered smartly as she sat herself down in the seat opposite his desk.

“Sweetheart, I know Logan to be a very nice boy in a lot of ways,” her dad said, finally looking up from his work and at her instead. “But you’ve both been through a lot and I just, I don’t like to think that there’s any advantage being taken anywhere,” he said carefully, not wanting her to think for a moment he was accusing her or Logan of anything, after all there was nothing to say they shouldn’t be friends, or even more than that, just so long as they both knew where they stood at all times, and nobody got hurt, especially Veronica.

“You know I’m not so stupid as to let anybody take advantage of me in any way,” the blonde protested. “I mean, unless you count all that sex I’ve been having with random guys to get them to like me when I’m feeling vulnerable and sad,” she joked, and Keith shook his head.

“That’s not funny,” he told her, as she tried not to smirk. She knew her dad only meant to look out for her, it was what father’s did after all, she just liked to mess with him once in a while. It wouldn’t do for her to be too obedient or always say the right thing, it was a teenagers prerogative to be unruly when the mood struck and for no other reason but their age alone.

“Are you almost done here?” she asked, yawning suddenly. “It’s pretty late.”

“Sure, we can head home,” Keith agreed as he put away various files and papers and prepared to leave.

Neither he nor Veronica were ready for the sight that met their eyes when they head out of the building, locking up the office as they went. Both of them were confused by the fact that Logan’s car was still parked out front and even more baffled by the fact he wasn’t in it. A loud crash caught the attention of both father and daughter and they looked across the street where the figures of two young men could be seen, wrestling around on the floor beside a pair of trash cans that had clearly gotten in the way of their tussle.

“Logan?” Veronica called worriedly as she hurried across the street, her father right behind her. She gasped when she realised that one of the young men was indeed her boyfriend, and that the person who held him down and struck him across the face was none other than her ex, Duncan Kane.

“Okay, that’s enough!” Keith yelled as he pulled one boy off the other and pushed them apart. It seemed Logan was only too willing to be away from his suddenly violent best friend, but Duncan wasn’t finished yet and still attempted to continue the fight. Keith grabbed the boys arms from behind and held him back, yelling for him to calm down right now.

It took some time for Duncan to lose the almost feral look in his eyes and Veronica was actually scared of him for a few moments. She knew he was prone to these outbursts, of course, she knew about the special type of epilepsy he had that caused many symptoms including blind rages that could not be controlled. She wondered though, how he had come to be here, and why he had attacked Logan who was his best friend.

“Now, you wanna tell me what in the hell is going on here?” Keith asked the young Kane just as soon as he was calm enough he didn’t need to be restrained anymore. The look Duncan shot at Veronica who stood close to Logan having been checking him for injuries, was enough to tell her the answer without words. The pieces fell into place with a sickening crunch inside her head and her eyes dipped to the floor.

“Duncan, I’m sorry,” she said quietly, glancing back up at him a moment later. “We were going to tell you, I swear-”

“Tell me what, Veronica?” he asked, with a tone just this side of nasty. “Tell me you’re seeing my best friend behind my back?” he checked, and her face hardened at that.

“No,” she snapped. “I’m not cheating on anybody, neither of us are,” she pointed out to him.

Before he had a chance to answer, Keith reached for his daughter’s arm.

“I think we should be getting home, sweetheart,” he suggested. “Logan, maybe you should come back to our place, we’ll get you cleaned up,” he offered and the young couple headed across to the car. Keith remained in front of Duncan for a moment, his eyes hard as he looked at the boy.

“Now, I don’t know what your real problem is here, Duncan,” he said simply, “but I will tell you this; if you upset Veronica, in any way, there will be consequences,” he warned him.

With that Keith Mars walked away, not stopping to glance back. If he had he would’ve seen the tears that filled Duncan’s eyes as he watched the only girl he had ever truly loved be driven away from him, with another man at her side.

If only she understood why he’d broken up with her before, if only he could stop feeling what he was feeling, for the girl who could easily be his half-sister.

* * *

“Y’know I may be the least obvious detective in the car,” Logan observed, “but I’m getting a clue that dating Veronica Mars has some connection to my nose bleeding.” He smirked, behind the wad of tissue she’d told him to hold under his nose.

“It’s not like I was the one hitting you.” She rolled her eyes. “Either time.”

“There was another time?” Keith asked, glancing at the young couple in the rear-view mirror as he drove. “Actually, maybe I don’t want to know,” he considered, which Veronica mentally agreed was for the best.

“Well, I guess our secret’s out.” Logan sighed. “And hey, you got your wish. Duncan was the first to know.”

“He had no right to react like he did,” Veronica snapped angrily. “I haven’t been dating him in over a year, and he knows we can never be together-”

“Okay,” Keith interrupted as he glanced at his daughter in the rear view mirror once again, giving her a look that silenced her anyway. “Looks like we’re home, so why don’t you take Logan to the bathroom, sweetie, help him get cleaned up, and how about I call up Aaron and let him know you’re staying over at our place, Logan?”

“That’d be great, sir, thanks,” the younger man said with a nod as Keith pulled the car into the drive and everybody got out.

They headed in through the front door and Veronica ushered Logan towards the bathroom, stopping when her father called her.

“Er, you go on, Logan,” he told the boy who also stopped and waited to see what was being said. “Veronica will be right there, the first aid kit is under the sink.”

Logan glanced between father and daughter before nodding once and disappearing through to the bathroom. Veronica was frowning as she followed her father back to the kitchen and asked him what was going on.

“Veronica, we both know why you and Duncan aren’t together anymore, and why he thinks you can’t be,” he said, looking down at the linoleum and then back up at his daughter who had similar trouble keeping eye contact. It was a touchy subject, the fact that he may not be her dad at all, that Veronica may in fact have been borne out of an affair between her mother, Lianne, and Duncan’s own father, Jake Kane.

“I didn’t mean to bring that up in front of Logan,” she said, shaking her head as she whispered. “I just-”

“It’s okay, honey, really it is,” Keith assured her, a tear in his eye that he tried to hide as he put his hand over his little girl’s own on the counter top. “Veronica, I had a paternity test done, and I know I should’ve told you,” he admitted, as she opened her mouth to protest at his secrecy as he knew she would, “but the point is, sweetheart... I really am your father,” he told her with a grin.

Veronica couldn’t have been happier if he’d told her they’d won the lottery and she hugged him so tight it was a wonder he could even breathe. Still, Keith didn’t care. Veronica was his whole world and it near broke his heart to think she might not even be his to love. Now he knew for sure, without a shadow of a doubt that the daughter he’d brought up all these years was indeed his own flesh and blood, his precious little girl.

“I knew,” Veronica said through happy tears. “I knew you had to be,” she told him, though honestly a lot of her knowledge had been little more than wishful thinking, “but we spent all afternoon-” she said, suddenly frowning as she stared at him.

“I didn’t know UNtil later,” he assured her. “The results were delivered straight to the office, I found the envelope amongst a bunch of others on my desk tonight,” he explained. “I was going to explain the minute we got home but... things didn’t exactly go as planned.”

His daughter was soon smiling again, sharing another hug with him.

There was so much uncertainty in Veronica’s life right now, over Lilly’s death, and surrounding Logan, and Duncan. She was glad to know one thing in her world would always be constant and true; her father.

* * *

“Hey,” Veronica was still smiling as she came into the bathroom behind Logan and found him wincing as he cleaned the blood from his face.

“Hey,” he replied in kind, though his smile faltered more than hers did. “So, I’m guessing that was the special father-daughter talk you two just had?” he guessed as she sat down on the edge of the tub and watched him. “The one warning you what a bad person I must be, getting into fights and everything?”

“Logan.” Veronica shook her head as she interrupted him. “My dad is protective of me, but he is no more against you than any other boyfriend I might have.”

“Boyfriend, huh?” He smirked at the word she’d used as he turned away from the mirror, pleased to note he looked like a human being again, albeit a slightly dented one. “That’s a new word in our relationship vocabulary,” he said as he came to stand before her and reached to take both her hands in his, pulling her back onto her feet. He pulled her arms around himself and then wrapped his own around her slim frame.

“Well, you’re my friend, and a boy,” she said thoughtfully. “What else am I supposed to call you but my boyfriend?” She shrugged, a playful look in her eye that made Logan laugh.

“You can call me anything you want, Veronica,” he told her softly as he tucked her hair behind her ear and held her close to him. “Because... I’m kinda falling in love with you,” he admitted, leaning in closer and brushing his lips against her own.

At first she didn’t react as she took in the words he’d said. She liked Logan a lot, a very lot, but love? Sure, she’d considered it but never seriously and never out loud. Here he was telling her he was falling on love with her and all Veronica could think was the first time a guy said that to her.

“Did I just make a fool of myself?” Logan asked as he pulled back and looked Veronica in the eye. “Your silence is deafening,” he told her, with a nervous smile, after all it was kind of a nervous joke.

In all honesty, this wasn’t a planned thing. Logan hadn’t thought for a moment he’d be telling Veronica how he really felt about her today, tomorrow, or any time in the very near future, but he knew it, felt it so strongly it just seemed like the most natural thing in the world to let the words out, make the confession. Now he was wondering if it wasn’t a huge mistake, since she didn’t exactly look thrilled and she wasn’t being quick to tell him she felt the same either.

“Logan,” she began shakily. “I don’t... You kinda surprised me,” she admitted, keeping a tight hold on him, so afraid he’d take her lack of answer the wrong way and run. “I’m still trying to figure out so much stuff and... you know I care about you so much.”

“Just not as much as...” he said, gesturing vaguely from his own chest to hers. What he felt in his heart didn’t match hers it seemed, and though it hurt her to see pain evident in his eyes, she wouldn’t lie to him, she couldn’t do that.

“Hey,” she protested when his arms dropped away from her body and he turned to go. Grabbing his hand she brought him back around to face her, and gently took his bruised face in her hands. “You listen to me, Logan Echolls,” she told him firmly. “I never, ever expected to feel anything like this for anybody, least of all a guy who spent the last year pretty much making my life hell.” She half-smiled at how ridiculous their situation really was. “But right now, everything is so crazy, there’s so much going on in my head that I can’t just... I need a little time,” she said eventually, praying he understood the jumble of words that even she wasn’t sure she’d said right.

“If that’s what it takes.” Logan nodded, turning his head to put his lips to her hand and kiss her palm. “I know I’ve been a total jackass before now, and some of the stuff I said to you-”

“I’m not looking for an apology,” she told him quickly. “Let’s face it, I kinda gave as good as I got anyway.” She shrugged, knowing it was true, she’d gotten Logan into some trouble on various occasions, sometimes when he deserved it more than others.

“Veronica?” she heard her father call to her. “You wanna make up the couch for our guest?” he asked.

She moved to leave the bathroom and do as Keith had suggested. Logan followed her, wondering vaguely if Veronica’s father had heard some of what had been said between the two of them in the bathroom. Maybe he had, maybe he hadn’t and instead had let his protective father paranoia go into overdrive over other things that might’ve been happening behind that closed bathroom door. Whatever happened, Logan was pretty sure he’d rather face the wrath of Keith Mars than of his own father. He counted himself lucky that Aaron approved of Veronica, he’d always seemed to have a problem with his son dating Lilly.


	9. Old & New

“See, I came right back just like I promised.” Keith smiled as he let himself back into the house and found his daughter finishing off putting away the breakfast things. He’d just driven Logan back to where his car was parked so he could go home, but Veronica had been worried her dad would be tempted to go into the office and work. It was Sunday after all, he needed at least one day of rest - he deserved it.

“You did good.” Veronica smiled as she walked around the counter, kissing Keith on the cheek as she came by. “Was Logan okay? I mean, you didn’t talk about me or anything in the car, did you?” she checked, knowing her father was prone to the occasional over-protective parental outburst. After last night and Logan’s confession of love for her, the last thing Veronica wanted was for her dad to scare him off.

“You’re so cute.” Keith smiled. “You really think I’d tell you how I hung him out the car at eighty miles an hour until he promised never to see you ever again?” he grinned, the fact he was joking was thankfully overly-apparent, and Veronica narrowed her eyes at him.

“Hilarious,” she dead-panned. “I don’t know how I’m not busting a rib right now.”

“Seriously, Veronica, if you like this boy, I can deal with it,” he told her as he came to sit beside her on the couch. “He’s not a bad kid, he’s just been through a lot, like you have.”

“He has.” She nodded in agreement. “First Lilly, then his mom.”

“He’s taken a lot of your time and focus,” her dad pointed out. “You’re not as active on Lilly’s case these days.”

“I still care about that,” Veronica said suddenly, the look on her face showing she wasn’t too impressed that he was almost accusing her of giving up, at least that’s how it sounded to her. “Lilly was my best friend, I still want to solve the case. I have to get justice for her.”

“I know, honey. I know that,” Keith assured her, taking hold of her hand in both of his. “I know what Lilly meant to you, and I’m proud of you wanting to figure this out and see justice done.” He nodded. “But I gotta say, I also like to know you’ve found a way to move on a little bit, you and Logan, together.”

“I guess we have.” Veronica nodded, realising perhaps for the first time that it was true. Logan had distracted her from the murder case toa certain degree, he’d distracted her from everything really, or at least her mixed-up feelings for him definitely had.

“Veronica, sweetheart.” Her dad smiled. “All I want, the only thing in the whole world that I really want, is for you to be happy, and whatever it takes for that to happen, it’s worth it.”

“I love you, Daddy,” the blonde told him, sounding strangely child-like and looking similar as she leaned in to give him a hug.

She was just so glad to know he really was her father, and that he was okay with everything in her life right now. Veronica found she was similarly pleased with how things were going with her right now. She and Logan might seem like quite the odd couple but they actually had things in common when they made the effort to think about it, plus they cared about each other a great deal, and honestly they both needed someone to lean on right now.

“So, you have plans for the rest of today?” Keith asked his daughter who shook her head to bring her mind back to the present.

“Actually I was thinking I might give Wallace a call, ask him to come over?” she said. “We haven’t spent much time together lately. I don’t want to be a bad friend who never calls.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Her father nodded he stood up, dropping a kiss on her forehead as he walked by. “If you’re going to have Wallace here, how would you feel about me going over to the Fennell house?”

“Dad, if you want to spend time with Alicia you know I’m okay with that,” Veronica reminded him. “Only, one condition,” she stated, holding up her pointer finger to indicate the ‘one’ she spoke of. “Don’t ever, ever tell me what you two do alone together.”

“I promise.” Keith smirked, crossing his heart as he said it.

* * *

“What favour do you need this time?” Wallace asked, just as soon as Keith left to go see the boy’s own mother.

“You really think I’m such a bad friend I only want to see you when I need a favour?” Veronica frowned. Usually she wasn’t so easily wounded but she felt guilty enough that Logan had been monopolising her time lately. To have Wallace almost accuse her of being a user didn’t feel too great on top of everything else.

“Hey, don’t take it so hard, girl, I was just messin’,” her friend said with a shake of his head as he sat up on the couch beside her and looked at her strangely. “What’s up, Veronica?” he asked, knowing something must be. She’d sounded a little weird on the phone and now, she just didn’t seem like her usual self at all.

“Wallace, I... I have some stuff to tell you,” she said, not looking right at him at first. “The thing is, I’m not sure you’re going to like part of it.”

“Veronica, we’re best buds,” he assured her. “There’s nothin’ you can tell me that’s gonna change that, okay?” he assured her. “’Cept maybe that vicious lie about Santa Claus not bein’ real, 'cause that’s just nasty.” He grinned, and Veronica couldn’t help but smile back at him.

“Definitely nothing to do with Santa,” she assured him. “More to do with me... and Logan.”

“Logan Echolls?” Wallace frowned, after all the first time he’d really met the guy was when he’d smashed up Veronica’s car with a crowbar. He knew they’d been friends way back when and that more recently she’d given him a hand looking for his mom, but he couldn’t understand why she’d have any confessions to make regarding the actor’s son, unless...

“We’re kind of seeing each other,” the blonde admitted.

“Woah,” was Wallace’s initial reaction. “Okay, and by that you mean, like, dating?” he checked he was understanding right and Veronica looked awkward.

“Not so much dating.” She shook her head. “It’s just... well, we’ve gotten kind of... close,” she said, hoping that made things obvious without further explanation. The light suddenly seemed to dawn in her friends eyes, but maybe a little to bright.

“We haven’t slept together if that’s what you’re thinking,” she quickly clarified.

“Hey, that ain’t none of mine,” Wallace held up his hands as if he were surrendering. “Your affairs are your own affair, know what I’m sayin’?”

Veronica just looked away, feeling strange. Though she and Wallace spoke on every topic without a problem, sex was an odd topic to have to broach when they were of opposing genders and the same sexuality.

“I just want you to know that he’s in my life now,” Veronica explained, a few moments later, “and he means a lot to me.”

“That’s cool.” Wallace nodded. “I mean, I ain’t sayin’ I totally understand how it happened, but whatever makes you happy, girl, it’s cool with me,” he assured her with a smile. “But he better know that if he messes you around I will kick his ass to the moon.”

“If he messes me around I think you’ll be at least three places back in line,” Veronica said seriously, “behind me and my father.”

“That’s only two places back.” Wallace frowned.

“My dad counts twice,” Veronica explained. “The man has a gun.”

They both laughed at that, reaching for a handful of popcorn each from the bowl on the table and getting more comfortable on the couch. Veronica felt better for her confession, even if it had made little or no difference to Wallace that she was seeing the infamous 09er that was Logan Echolls. The tension was gone, they could both relax now, although there was one other thing Veronica had to say.

“I called you over here for more than one reason, Wallace,” she explained, pushing the last couple of pieces of popcorn from her hand into her mouth.

“Lay it on me,” Wallace said bravely, around the remainder of the food in his own mouth. He watched as Veronica got up from the couch, crossed to the counter, and came back with her laptop computer in her hands. Placing it on the coffee table, she booted it up and turned it towards him.

“What you said about me asking for a lot of favours,” she said with a sigh. “You’re right, I do ask for a lot, and you always come through for me.”

“We’re best friends, Veronica.” He shrugged, like that was explanation enough. “On my first day at Neptune High, when those bikers taped me naked to the flag pole, you were the girl that cut me down whilst everybody else stood around and laughed,” he reminded her. “That, and everythin’ else you done for me since then too, it’s bought you a lot of favours, Miss Mars.”

Veronica smiled at what he said, liking what she heard. Not since Lilly died had she had a friend like this, one who would do anything she asked as she returned that favour in kind, one she could talk to about almost anything and never worry.

“I wanted you to see this,” she said, gesturing to the computer screen, which Wallace duly focused his eyes on. “It’s everything about the Lilly Kane murder case.”

“Wow,” the boy gasped, surprised he was being handed such an honour, but very glad Veronica really did think so highly of him. She was a good friend, maybe better than she realised, and he was glad to have her in his life.

* * *

“Duncan,” Logan was a little taken aback to find the Kane’s son on his doorstep, after all it was less than twenty four hours ago that he’d had his face flattened by this very same person.

“Dude, what happened to you?” Duncan asked, his expression somewhere between amusement and surprise as he saw the bruising and dried blood around Logan’s nose. “Hey, don’t tell me, Trina got back and hit you with her purse of something,” he snickered, but Logan wasn’t laughing. He was quite angry that Duncan would make jokes about the injury he himself had inflicted, and yet when he looked at him he realised this was no joke. It was as if he really didn’t remember what he’d done.

“Er, I walked into a door,” he said, shaking his head absently as he stepped back and let his friend into the house. “But obviously I’ll need a cover story before tomorrow, maybe something about fighting for the honour of a lady, or whatever,” he said thoughtfully, watching Duncan’s expression. The young Kane only smiled.

“You? Protecting the honour of a lady?” He smirked. “I’d stick with the door thing,” he said, patting him on the shoulder as he walked by.

Logan watched Duncan walk through the house and duly followed. Veronica had told him that his friend had a strange type of epilepsy, a condition that caused violent rages and subsequent memory loss of such events. He hadn’t totally believed it til a moment ago, not even last night when their fight had occurred. Now it put doubt in his mind about Duncan’s stability, and about what might really have happened the night Lilly died.


	10. Expect the Unexpected

“It was like he really had no idea what had happened,” Logan told his girlfriend as they sat on the couch together, her wrapped in his arms as he explained what had occurred when Duncan showed up at his house yesterday. “I know what you said but... Veronica, it was almost scary,” he admitted. “It actually makes me wonder, and I hate myself for it, but-”

“What if he hurt Lilly?” she said for him, when the words wouldn’t come.

They shared a look and he nodded that she’d understood his unspoken words completely. Neither of them wanted to believe his best friend, her ex, upstanding citizen Duncan Kane, would ever be capable of hurting anybody, never mind killing his sister, but Logan had been on the receiving end of one of Duncan’s violent outbursts and Veronica had borne witness to it. Plus they both knew what the young man’s medical records said about the epilepsy he had but kept secret from all but his parents.

“I want to tell myself it’s a crazy idea.” Logan shook his head. “I mean, it’s Duncan, there’s no way he would hurt Lilly, or anybody, but it’s like when he got angry it wasn’t even him.”

“I know,” Veronica agreed. “I keep thinking there has to be some other explanation. Why do you think I’m still investigating this, even when all the clues lead to one person, and one answer?” she said with a look.

Logan pulled her tight to him and kissed the top of her head. The only person he was sure of in his life anymore was Veronica. The day Lilly died his life went into a downward spiral, his dad’s violent tempers that seemed worse this past year, then losing his mom, and now Duncan.

“Hey, don’t dwell on it right now,” his girlfriend urged him when she saw the overly serious look on his face. She reached up to kiss his lips and he was soon smiling.

“Well, if that’s your best idea for taking my mind off things, I’m not about to argue,” he assured her as they made out on the couch, both pleased to know that Keith was going to be out all night, and wouldn’t be barging in on them when they least expected it.

The moment was thoroughly spoilt as they lay down together only for Logan to yelp in pain and almost throw Veronica on the floor as he sat up sharply.

“I’m sorry,” she apologised immediately, wrongly assuming she’d either aggravated an injury that Duncan had caused or that Aaron had inflicted.

“It wasn’t you,” Logan told her as he reached down the side of the sofa cushion and pulled out the solid object that had stuck into his side. “But this might just be the offending item,” he said, with a questioning look as he examined the video camera tape in a little box. “October 3rd?” he read aloud, his eyes going wide as he glanced at Veronica. She looked similarly shocked as she took the tape from his hand and re-read the box. He was right, the date on it was indeed the same day Lilly died.

Without a word she scrambled to her feet and ran to her room. Logan watched her go and then come back a few moments later with her hands now full - the video camera in one hand, two more tapes in the other.

“I found them in Lilly’s room,” Veronica explained as she set up the camera to play back the tapes. “When I went to get the ring to free Weevil, they were in the airvent. I just thought they were all of us, tapes we made a long time ago.”

“And now?” Logan checked as he handed her the tape he’d found. “What do you think we’re gonna find on here?” he wanted to know, though a part of him was fairly certain he didn’t.

“I don’t know.” His girlfriend shook her head. “ut I think we have to find out,” she said with a look as the tape was dropped into the camera, and Logan reached to take hold of Veronica’s hand. They didn’t know exactly what they were about to see, but neither were overly eager in any real sense. They’d both loved Lilly so much, seeing any footage of her was difficult because she was gone. Now, knowing this was the day she died, it was almost worse.

“Isn’t that...?” Veronica started, stunned by what she was seeing.

“The pool house,” Logan finished for her, nodding his head as he stared at the screen still. His girlfriend glanced at him, wondering how he didn’t know about this. Why would Lilly have footage from that camera in the Pool House if not because of Logan? Why else would she even be there? But Logan had seemed shocked by the camera and recording equipment the day they’d found it and she believed he was still stunned, if the look on his face was anything to go by.

“What the...?” Lilly said on the TV screen as she made the same discovery that Logan and Veronica had. Standing on the bed, her face came in very close to the camera before she hopped down and opened up the bookcase which revealed the recorder and tapes. In seconds the connection was lost.

“Why was she even there?” Veronica said more to herself than to Logan as she scrambled on the floor for another tape. This one was dated two days before and she quickly switched it for the one in the camera. Logan just sat staring at the screen, still in apparent shock. He’d worked out something that Veronica had yet to piece together, and though the very thought of it made him feel sick to his stomach it was almost definitely true.

As the second tape clicked into life, it was clear what it contained. Two people having sex, a young woman writhing with pleasure on top of a man. The girl was definitely Lilly but it was only when the pair flipped over and the man glanced up at the camera lens in the ceiling that Veronica realised what Lilly’s big secret had been before she died.

“Oh my God,” she gasped at the sight of Aaron Echolls, Logan’s own father, in the bed with her best friend. If they were together like this, and then Lilly had stolen these tapes from him... Veronica knew enough of Aaron’s violent temper to easily believe he was the one who had killed her best friend, out of fear of what she’d do with the tapes, out of anger that she’d double cross him.

“I’ll kill him,” Logan seethed as he leapt up from the couch and went for the door. Veronica scrambled to her feet, grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

“Logan, no,” she protested. “You can’t, we don’t even know what this means.”

“Come on, Veronica,” he said giving her an incredulous look. “You’re the detective, look at the evidence!” he yelled. “He went behind my back with my girlfriend, you know he’s not afraid to use his fists to show his feelings, and if she stole those tapes...” he left the sentence hanging since the pain and anger in his eyes said it all anyway. Veronica knew he was right, she’d immediately come to the same conclusion, but she didn’t want this. She didn’t want Logan going over there all guns blazing, it wouldn’t do any good.

“Logan, if you really think he’s capable of that, why would you go after him like this?” she asked him, holding on tight to his arms, hoping she could convince him not to go. “I don’t want to lose you too!” she told him as tears sprang to her eyes.

He hated to see that she was almost crying, he hated feeling like he was about to do the same, but this had to be done. He wasn’t afraid of his father, not anymore. He’d gone a step too far, he needed to be punished, just like he punished others and for much lesser crimes.

“You will never lose me,” Logan said firmly as he looked down into Veronica’s eyes. She wasn’t sure whether that meant she’d convinced him to stay or not, she doubted it when he leaned in and kissed her firmly on the mouth before whispering in her ear. “I love you,” he said before suddenly letting go of her and hurrying out the door.

“Logan!” she called behind him, following him out of the house. He was already in his car, pulling off the driveway, apparently not hearing her or not wanting to as she called after him.

In a state of panic, Veronica fought with the door of her own car, eventually climbing inside and squealing the tyres as she headed off after her boyfriend. If he caught up with Aaron she would lose him, one way or another she would, and she couldn’t stand it. Either Mr Echolls would get angry like he most likely had with Lilly, or Logan would be so incensed he’d do something stupid instead. If either of them ended up dead, Veronica would lose her boyfriend, either physically or emotionally, and she couldn’t stand either thought. She loved him, it was clearer now in this moment than it had ever been as she drove like a maniac behind Logan who was travelling in similar style.

“Please, Logan,” she said to herself, since obviously he couldn’t hear her from there. “Please don’t do this,” she urged him through her mind, though she knew even if he could really hear her he wouldn’t stop.

When he started something, he saw it through. From video games, to arguments, anything at all, once he set his mind to it, he got it done. That was perhaps what bothered Veronica most of all, the fact she knew he got that determined streak from his father. With the two of them so hell-bent on being right, and being the winner of anything that came up, one of them was going to end up seriously hurt today... or worse.

Almost blinded by tears, Veronica swung the car around the final corner, following Logan who screeched the tyres through the front gates of his home and up onto the driveway. He was out of the car and gone, several moments before his girlfriend could manage the same. Veronica practically fell out of the car door, then pelted across the gravel and through the door that Logan had left swinging open.

Veronica was sure that no matter what she never would have been ready for the sight that met her eyes. Logan stood, rooted to the spot right in her way, and the blonde ploughed into his back, wondering why he’d suddenly stopped. Maybe he’d come to his senses, but she couldn’t imagine that were true when he’d been so angry.

“Logan...” she began as she stepped around him, trying to see his face, but her attention was soon taken by the sight of something else. “Oh my God,” she gasped as she looked down at the very thing her boyfriend had seen.

There in the middle of the marbled entrance hall lay Aaron Echolls, blood oozing from a wound in his chest as a couple of staff tended to him, pressing towels to their employer’s injury, attempting to stem the flow of blood.

Ambulance sirens got louder as they approached the house and Veronica recognised Weevil’s grandmother as she scurried towards the front door to let in the paramedics when they arrived.

Logan stood still stuck to the spot like someone had glued his feet down and rendered him incapable of movement or speech. On her part, Veronica felt much the same, especially when her eyes travelled across the floor and she spotted an abandoned weapon - a gun. Somebody had beaten Logan to the punch, as it were, though the injuries they’d caused Aaron Echolls were far worse than a simple beating. If that was a gun shot wound in his chest, if all this blood had come from it, Veronica doubted the ambulance crew would be able to do anything that would allow him to live to see tomorrow.


	11. A Hole In The Heart

“Veronica, sweetheart,” Keith ran to his daughter and grabbed her in a tight hug.

He was the first person she’d called from the payphone when she’d arrived at the hospital, having driven Logan in her car behind the ambulance that carried his own father who was bleeding from a deep gunshot wound to the chest.

“Dad, I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, her face buried in his shoulder.

This whole ordeal had taken it’s toll on her emotions, first finding out what the tapes she had found in Lilly’s room really contained, and what that might mean, then chasing an angry Logan back to his house, and discovering Aaron bleeding to death.

“What exactly happened, do we know yet?” Keith asked his daughter, who forced back a few tears and nodded.

“I heard most of what Mrs Navarro told Sheriff Lamb,” she admitted. “It was another crazy fan-turned-lover, like the one last Christmas,” she explained. “It seems like Aaron had slept with her too, then dropped her. She couldn’t handle the rejection, and I guess she knew from before that stabbing wasn’t always enough to get someone’s attention.”

“So she shot him?” Keith asked, not feeling as shocked as perhaps one ought to have been on hearing a crazed fan shot their favourite actor who had used them for sex and consequently dropped them like a hot potato.

“Right through the heart.” Veronica nodded. “At least, that’s what they think she was aiming for. She was yelling a lot about him not using it anyway so she might as well stop it beating altogether,” she explained. “By the time Logan and I got there, she was long gone. The staff said when she realised what she’d really done, she screamed and just ran. They were more concerned with saving Aaron’s life than chasing her down.”

“My God.” Keith sighed, looking heavenward, wondering at the world as he often did, sometimes for good and sometimes for bad.

How people could be so unfeeling, he had no idea. Aaron Echolls seemed to think he could use people as he saw fit and never face consequences. It would seem some had severe punishments in mind for such treatment, punishments that no sane person could ever condone.

“I guess we were lucky we didn’t arrive sooner,” Veronica said shakily. “The way Logan was driving we’re lucky we got there at all.”

“What do you mean?” her father checked. “Had Logan been drinking, because-”

“No, Dad,” she explained quickly, before his anger levels hit overload. “He was just angry...” she started to explain, stopping when a nurse walked past and smiled at them. Veronica smiled back briefly as she pulled her father to one side of the hallway and checked no-one was around.

“What’s going on, sweetheart?” Keith checked, knowing by now that this whole situation wasn’t half as simple as it seemed, it couldn’t be from the way his daughter was behaving.

“We found something out, Logan and me,” she explained. “I found some video camera tapes in the air-vent in Lilly’s room, when I found the ring that got Weevil out of jail.”

“You said those were just film of you kids from before,” he recalled and Veronica nodded her head.

“I thought that’s all they were, but one had October 3rd written on the box, the day Lilly died,” she told him. “We played it, and then we played another. Dad, Lilly was having an affair... with Aaron,” she explained to her father who looked suitably stunned. “Those tapes were from the pool house at the Echolls’ place. I’m pretty sure Lilly took them and ran, probably just managed to get them into the air-vent before Aaron caught up with her and...” she couldn’t say the rest, as her eyes filled with tears and emotion took her voice. Tonight had been a little too much for her, between realising it was likely her boyfriends father killed her best friend, and then finding that very man bleeding to death in his front hall, Veronica was emotionally exhausted and so torn about what she was feeling.

“Where are the tapes now?” Keith was eager to know, as he checked his watch and looked around the hall, glad to see there was nobody around.

“Still at home,” his daughter said quietly, on the off chance anyone could hear, after all it wasn’t the first time she’d been followed or bugged, Clarence Wiedman had seen to that. “Logan was so mad at Aaron, he left fast and I had to go after him. I didn’t want him to do anything stupid.”

“Seems he didn’t get the chance anyway.” Keith sighed, sparing a moment to feel sympathy for the boy who had now lost his old girlfriend, his mother, and most likely his father too. In moments, his mind was back on the job at hand, the Lilly Kane murder case which it seemed was about to be solved once and for all.

Keith told Veronica to stay with Logan as long as he needed her, and to call his cell should she need him at all. She promised she would, asking what would happen next. In all honesty, her father had to tell her he wasn’t sure. He’d need to see the tapes, look at the other evidence, and then probably go and talk to Sheriff Lamb, however unappealing that idea was.

Kissing his daughter on the forehead, he finally left, and Veronica took a deep breath as she headed back down the hall to the room where Aaron lay, plugged into machines with wires and tubes coming out of him from every angle.

The bullet had missed his heart, so the doctors said, but just barely. They’d stemmed the bleeding somewhat and cleaned him up, immediately beginning a transfusion, and a bunch of other stuff that neither Veronica or Logan had followed too well. Honestly, the blonde couldn’t care much whether this man lived or died right now. It was likely he was the murderer of her best friend, and she knew he regularly beat on his own son. He was what drove Lynn to suicide, and alienated his daughter just recently after a violent attack on her boyfriend. The world would mourn a great actor, one of Hollywood’s finest, but those who knew him best, would they really be sad to see him shuffle off his mortal coil? Veronica couldn’t think of a single person, not even the man’s own son, who stood outside the room, peering through the glass at his father.

“Hey,” she said quietly as she approached him. He didn’t acknowledge she was there, but she knew he must have heard her as she came to stand next to him, also looking through the glass. Without a word, Logan’s hand moved across the wooden ledge and covered hers, gripping on tight to her fingers.

“It’s one thing to be thankful for I guess,” he said flatly, eyes still staring, voice without emotion. “She didn’t have this.”

“She?” Veronica echoed, unsure right now as to who he was speaking of, or what exactly he was saying at all.

“There wouldn’t have been pain, right?” he said, still not looking at her even though he was clearly speaking to her, asking her questions too. “It would’ve been fast, like lightening. One second here, one second gone. No pain, no suffering, nothing,” he said, voice cracking with emotion that Veronica was almost glad to hear. Though she didn’t particularly want Logan to be in floods of tears, it scared her when he showed no feeling at all. She was so desperate not to lose him.

“She wouldn’t have felt any pain,” Veronica assured him, though honestly she still wasn’t sure if he meant Lilly or his mother. Still, her words were good for both. It was unlikely either suffered in their passing, it would all have happened too fast.

“I wanted this,” he said, his tone flat one again. “The rich boy always gets what he wants.” He laughed suddenly, almost maniacally, and Veronica shuddered involuntarily. “I want it, it happens, and I wanted him to...” he couldn’t say the word, he hated himself for ever thinking it, and his girlfriend knew it as he turned and practically fell into her arms, sobbing like a child.

“You didn’t do this, Logan. You didn’t,” she assured him. “No matter what you thought or felt, I know you couldn’t’ve done this, even if you’d had the chance,” she told him firmly as she hugged him tight, and rubbed his back, trying to calm him down.

Veronica felt awful for her boyfriend as they stood their in the hall, clinging on to each other. He’d lost so much, as much as her and more in a different way. Though her mother was gone and unlikely to return any time soon if at all, Logan had the pain of knowing he really could never track down Lynn, she was gone to a place it was impossible to return from. Now it seemed likely Aaron would soon be lost too, and as much as Veronica could hate him for what he’d done to Logan and to Lilly, she couldn’t quite find it in her to want him dead, to suffer certainly, but his death was not her decision to make, it shouldn’t be any ordinary person’s choice.

“Mr Echolls?” a small voice said to the side of them, and Logan shifted out of Veronica’s arms, sniffing and wiping his face dry with the back of his hand. “You can go in and talk to your father, if you want to.” She smiled kindly. Obviously she was unaware of the situation which had led to Logan finding Aaron as he had, and of the uneasy relationship they’d shared before.

Holding tight to Veronica’s hand, Logan allowed himself to be led into the room where his father lay, still unconscious as yet, looking deathly pale. The blonde had to force back the tears in her eyes and the bile that rose in her throat. This was the man that hurt two of her friends, and probably even murdered one of them. He was some kind of animal, a monster maybe, and though she could not hope for his end, she certainly wished pain upon him, no matter how bad a person that made her.

“He looks smaller,” Logan said softly.

Veronica didn’t answer him, in all honesty she didn’t know what to say for the best.

“Do you want to stay or...?” she said at length when he neither sat down or offered to leave the room, just stood their staring at the father he wasn’t sure how to care about anymore.

Her half-asked question was left unanswered as the beeping of the machines all around fluttered strangely and Aaron’s eyes flickered open. Veronica swallowed hard, not knowing how to really deal with this. Her grip on Logan’s hand tightened and she was sure one or the other of them would have no blood supply left in their fingers soon, but they would barely notice she was sure.

“Hey, look, it’s Daddy!” Logan said with fake joy and a whole barrel load of sarcasm.

Aaron didn’t answer, Veronica doubted he was able, between the blood-loss and the drugs, it was probably a miracle he was awake in any sense at all.

“So, another crazy fan, huh?” Logan said conversationally, scaring his girlfriend just a little bit, since she knew these faked overly pleasant moments were often followed by violence. She still recalled all too clearly their happy little conversation as he smashed up her car several months ago now. “Y’know Dad you really have to stop sleeping with these random women and then dumping them, it’s becoming dangerous,” he told his father who looked up at him without a sound. “Hey, I have an idea,” Logan snapped his fingers, the painted smile crumbling at last as he got to the point of what he was saying. “Why don’t we just kill them, like you did Lilly?” he asked, the pain he felt evident on his face and in his voice as he asked the question he’d been holding in for hours.

Something passed across Aaron’s face, a glimpse of an expression, more than one perhaps. Veronica was sure she saw shock, maybe even guilt, but he was unable to speak, deny the crime, or defend his actions.

“We know what you did,” Logan was telling him, getting a little too much in his face considering the circumstances. “You killed her! My girlfriend! You violated her, and then you killed her!” he raged, and Veronica knew this wasn’t doing anybody any good. Aaron looked genuinely scared, for maybe the first time in his life, and it frightened Veronica to see her boyfriend lose it like this.

“Logan, no, please.” She pulled him away, and thankfully he let himself be removed from the room, just as an alarm went crazy and the machine that monitored Aaron’s heart rate went into a flatline, the long droning beep almost deafening as Veronica dragged Logan away, and several medical staff rushed into the room in their place.

They waited down the hall, they didn’t speak, they barely moved, just held each other as they had before, both in tears. She’d agreed with his yelling at Aaron, she’d have liked a turn herself, but she’d rather him not have been in this state. It gave her the weirdest mixture of feelings. A strange sort of pity, as well as the obvious anger, and pain. She wanted justice, but she didn’t want this.

“Mr Echolls?” A doctor approached them, looking solemn, and the young people already knew what he’d come to say before he ever uttered the words. “I’m afraid we lost your father a moment ago,” he said as Logan collapsed into tears, both sad and angry. Veronica held him, feeling so awful for him. He’d already been through so much, this was a leap too far.

“I’m here, Logan, I’m here for you,” she promised him, wanting desperately for him to know he wasn’t completely alone. She knew he must feel that way right now, but he had to understand how she felt. “I’m here,” she repeated. “And I love you,” she assured him, the words taking the both of them somewhat by surprise. He pulled out of her arms to look at her properly, shock evident in his red-rimmed, watering eyes.

Logan was about to speak when he realised Veronica’s eyes had left his own and were staring past him somewhere. He was frowning as he turned around and got the shock of his life when he saw who was there.

“Logan,” she said softly as she opened her arms to him.

“Mom?” he replied, hardly able to believe his eyes, and Veronica couldn’t take it in either.

Lynn Echolls, it seemed, was alive.


	12. The Fallout

Veronica felt numb as she sat in a room at the hospital, near to her boyfriend and his mother, not really hearing what they were saying anymore, or understanding what was really going on. Too much emotion tonight had caused her brain to overload to a certain degree, to the point where she could no longer feel much of anything. She was stunned by the way Logan was holding it together, since he’d been through equally as much if not more than she had tonight.

They knew now that Aaron Echolls had likely killed Lilly Kane, they also knew that the man was dead, murdered himself by a psycho fan/mistress. Then there was Lynn, his wife and Logan’s mother, who everyone had presumed to have been driven to suicide by her husbands antics. She was actually very much alive, and had staged her own suicide in true Hollywood style, choosing to dump her car purposefully where she’d just caught sight of another poor unfortunate plunge to her death. She’d wanted the world to think she was gone, she’d wanted everybody to mourn and move on, even her own son. As mad as Veronica knew he was about that deceit, he made it pretty obvious, he was ultimately so grateful to have his mother back in his life.

Veronica hated herself just a little bit for being jealous. Her own mom was alive somewhere, possibly drunk but none-the-less able to come home if she wanted to. Though her daughter had booked her into a place that would help her beat her alcohol addiction, Veronica had heard a while ago that Lianne had checked out without ever finishing the course. A short letter had been forwarded to the blonde that said that she was sorry, but it was better this way. Initially there had been tears, but Veronica knew in her heart that her mother was right. It was better if she stayed away, better for everybody in the long run. In still didn’t stop her feeling jealous of Logan and his mother, though she had her dad still where he did not.

Just as Veronica thought this, the very man tapped on the door and poked his head into the room.

“Sweetheart, can I talk to you for a... Good God, Lynn?” Keith’s attention switched from his daughter to the older woman as his eyes went wide.

“Guess who pulled the biggest disappearing act since Houdini,” Logan joked, though now was hardly the time for laughter. Veronica had often observed that much like herself her boyfriend used humour as a defence mechanism, and something to hide behind when things got rough.

“I... I can’t tell you how great it is to see you, Lynn.” Keith smiled, though he still looked completely stunned as he came further into the room and the woman got to her feet, coming over to hug the startled PI.

“Thank you, Keith,” she said softly, before releasing him. “I hear that you and Veronica have been there for my son when I couldn’t, and I appreciate it so much.”

“It’s no problem,” he assured her, feeling very strange. He was used to strange turns of events and things not being what they seem, in fact he was usually one step ahead of the game and saw this kind of thing coming, but this was such a shock. Everybody had been so sure Lynn was gone to a better place, and yet here she was, larger than life and just as beautiful as ever.

“Dad, do you have news?” Veronica checked as her fathers attention switched back to her.

“Yeah, maybe we should...” he gestured to the door, but Lynn’s hand on his arm prevented him leaving.

“If this is about Aaron and... and Lilly, then I want to know too,” she said shakily. Even she, who had lived through so much pain and violence of her husbands infliction, she found it hard to take in the fact he was likely a murderer. If it hadn’t been her own son that had told her about all this she was sure she never would’ve believed it, but Logan wouldn’t lie to her, and it seemed couldn’t be mistaken.

“I wanna know too.” The boy nodded, his hand creeping over to where Veronica’s was on the arm of the chair. Their fingers intertwined and they held on tight, sharing a look before they both turned their attention back to Keith, and Lynn sat herself back down, preparing to hear the worst.

“Well, the evidence certainly suggests quite strongly that Aaron and Lilly were having an affair, and that when she discovered he’d been taping them together, she took the tapes and ran,” he explained. “It also seems entirely likely that he went after her in a foul temper and possibly lashed out and... It’s definitely possible that he’s guilty,” he ended, deciding to steer away from the words ‘death’ or ‘murder’. Everybody here in the room knew the score without him spelling it out.

“It’ll save Abel Koontz, and put everybody’s mind at rest,” Veronica said flatly, staring into space for a moment, then glancing back at her father, “but justice can’t really be done.”

“Justice has been done,” Logan told her, as they looked at each other. “Probably a lot better than the law could’ve done it,” he pointed out.

Aaron Echolls was guilty of murder, it was pretty obvious to all of them, but the courts and judges and lawyers, they couldn’t always be trusted to make the right decision. Even if they presented all the evidence, all gave their statements and opinions, justice might still not have been done, and would’ve taken a hell of a long time. As it was someone had seen to it that Aaron was done by as he would do unto others. Though the mystery fan who shot him didn’t know it, she had been judge, jury, and executioner, quite literally today.

“Well, I could use a strong coffee,” Lynn admitted as she got to her feet, feeling a little numb. “Keith, would you mind escorting me to the cafeteria?” she asked him, and he agreed, leading her out of the door and closing it behind them.

Alone in the room, neither Logan nor Veronica were sure what to say or do next. Less than twenty four hours ago all they craved was to be alone together, to talk, and kiss, and be a normal teenage couple for a few hours. It hadn’t occurred to them how much things could change, but the irony was hitting them now as they sat staring at each other unable to read each others expression, not knowing what to do for the best.

“If my mom and your dad hook up, I swear you, me and Duncan will officially have the most inbred and twisted bunch of families ever,” said Logan eventually, and Veronica honestly wasn’t sure whether to laugh, cry, or vomit.

She glanced sideways at her boyfriend just as he looked at her and they fell into a hug they both really needed right now.

“I don’t think I’d’ve got through all this without you,” he said softly into her hair as they held on tight to each other.

“Ditto,” she agreed, knowing she wouldn’t have coped half so well with even her part of tonight’s drama without him by her side. They were a team now, a real couple, they loved each other more than ever knew they could love anybody, and as scary as it was, it was pretty much the best feeling ever too.

“I’m so happy for you that your mom’s back.” Veronica smiled as they finally pulled apart a little. “It’s kind of amazing.”

“Yeah.” Logan nodded. “But y’know, well, I’m sorry, Veronica,” he said, almost looking ashamed. “I wish it could’ve been the same for you, your mom coming back and-”

“Hey.” She shook her head. “You don’t have to feel bad for getting your mom back when I didn’t,” she told him. “That’d be as crazy as me feeling guilty for still having a dad,” she said, immediately regretting bringing up Aaron. Logan didn’t seem to mind too much.

“It’s okay.” He nodded. “He wasn’t exactly Father of the Year, in fact, he was pretty much Anti-Dad most of the time.” He sighed. “I guess I loved him, in a he’s-my-father-so-I-have-to kind of way, and I didn’t exactly want him to...” he waved his hand in a gesture that told Veronica to fill in the obvious blank. “I’m just trying to say, justice was done, and I’m not saying I’m going to bounce back real fast from this,” he admitted, “but I’m not going to cry for days behind my black veil either.”

“That’s good,” Veronica agreed, "'cause y’know, you’d look weird in a veil.” She smirked, anything to lighten the mood, and he seemed to appreciate the effort.

“Okay, so I have a question,” he said, looking down at his hand which held her own. “Um, before, you mentioned something about loving me,” he recalled, glancing up at her and then back at her hand. “You wanna explain that to me?”

“What’s to explain?” she asked, her other hand going to his face and making him look at her. “I do love you, Logan,” she promised him. “And I know I picked a stupid, impractical, crappy time to say it, but I meant it.”

He nodded vaguely as he took in what she said then brought his lips to hers and kissed her firmly.

“I love you to, Veronica Mars,” he told her, their foreheads resting on each other. “And we’re gonna come through this, all of it.”

“You betcha ass we are.” She smiled at her own over-the-top tone. “Excuse the corny undertones but, there’s nothing we can’t face, if we’re together.”

“Wasn’t that a song in that show with the vampires?” Logan frowned slightly as his girlfriend did the same.

“Possibly,” she considered. “Eh, whatever.” She shrugged, favouring kissing her man to wondering too long about things that didn’t matter.

Life was short, this she had learnt the hard way following the deaths and tragedies suffered by too many people she loved. From now on they must live life to the fullest in honour of those they had lost and this they knew they would do best together.


	13. Epilogue

“It seems kind of crazy that we’re almost done with Junior year. I can’t help thinking you’d be so psyched to be so close to getting out of high school and heading off to college right now, but you’re not here anymore, and I know that no amount of wishing is going to change that. I believe you’re happy somewhere else now, especially since some kind of justice was done. I can’t believe you never told me about Aaron, but I guess that doesn’t matter now. You were like a sister to me, Lilly, even though we have the proof now that we weren’t actually sisters. I promise I’ll take care of Duncan for you, even though the two of us aren’t together that way anymore. I hope that wherever you are you’re looking down on us and smiling. Me and Logan, we’re so happy together, which I know would’ve sounded crazy not so long ago but, if you’ve been watching, like I think you have, then I know you’ll have seen how great we work together, how much we love each other.” Veronica smiled briefly at the man at her side who’s hand gripped her own, before her eyes shifted back to the ornate gravestone to which she’d previously been speaking. “I’ll never forget you, Lilly, I promise,” she assured her friend, who’s picture smiled back from the stone that marked her burial place.

“Hey, Lil,” Logan began just as soon as his girlfriend was done. “I... I’m not sure exactly what I’m supposed to say. I’m not even certain I believe you can hear me, but if you can, I want you know that I loved you, and that no matter what, a little part of me always will, but I love Veronica too, and she’s my future. So you keep a watch on us, okay? 'Cause I think we might find ourselves getting into some trouble along the way, since so far hasn’t exactly been sunshine and rainbows the whole time.” He smirked, his grip tightening on Veronica’s hand as they glanced at each other and agreed now was the time to walk away.

They’d both felt the need to come here, a place they’d rarely visited because it just hurt too much before. Now, two years on, the pain was easing, they’d both found a way to move on with their lives and things were actually looking up. The future was just a little brighter, and mostly because Veronica and Logan had each other. They both knew they’d made the right decision in getting together, even if it hadn’t been obvious from the start that they belonged.

“So, where to, Miss Mars?” Logan asked as they reached his car just beyond the cemetery gates, and he opened the passenger side door to let her inside.

“I don’t mind.” She shrugged as she got into the car. “But wherever we go, could we maybe stop by the office on the way, I have a couple of calls to make,” she asked, before he managed to close the door.

“Always on the case.” Logan smirked, as he leaned into the car to kiss her.

“Always on yours,” Veronica assured him with a smile before he ran round to climb into the drivers seat beside her, and drove off into the appropriately setting sun.


End file.
